Are my classmates delusional??

[Lola89]

Hello everyone,

I was recently in a study session with some of classmates for a Microbiology class. We started talking about nursing in general and I jokingly said we are going to be professional a$$ wipers! (btw, I was just joking no need to comment on this :)) But they both looked at me with puzzled looks and said that we don't have to do that as nurses that CNAs do that. I asked them, if a patient has an accident while under your care what are you going to do? They looked uncomfortable with this question and just answered that they are aware that as a nurse those situations are not common. One claimed that her entire family was in nursing and she knows first hand that nurses hardly have to do that.

It just baffles me how many people go into nursing thinking that this things are beneath them? As experienced nurses how often are you faced with that situation, where you have to clean up a patient's feces and vomit. I honestly thought that you have do that often.

[amyann]

I pretty much clean up fesces/vomit or some other type of bodily discharge every time I go to work. Some shifts there is no CNA and us nurses do it all.

[Moogie]

I agree with the comment about it depending on the area you are in as well.

As a student, I found it was pretty expected that you would do the bed baths, etc. especially in your first experiences in the clinical setting. Its definitely a bad idea to go to nursing school if you see it that way!

However, I have met a good number of nurses who tell me that they have not done any messy stuff since nursing school. Amongst the posters here, I note that in total care areas like ICU or neuro, you are more likely to provide this kind of care than say in Interventional Radiology or clinic settings. Also, it depends on how many techs, if any and what the expectation is of that workforce.

Before I get flamed, I really don't care either way. I don't plan to choose a job based on this particular issue.

No flames from me. I think you sound well-prepared for any of a number of settings in your career.

Have to say, as an experienced RN, I can deal with feces and emesis but, even after many years and advanced age (LOL!) I still am not a big fan of sputum. Then again, I would never delegate something to another person simply because I didn't want to deal with it. I agree completely with the poster who said that a nurse should never delegate a job to another that he/she would not do himself/herself. Just good work ethics.

[Schmoo1022]

I did not mean to it to sound like only nurses that were CNA's know how to do patient care well. I meant it as sort of you know what you are getting into and you appreciate how it is. I know many nurses that were CNAs and now feel entitled.." I don't wipe A$$ I am a RN now" Nursing is a hands on job, some areas more than others. I do not mind helping someone to the commode or changing a brief.

[Otessa, BSN, RN]

To the OP-YES, they are delusional......

otessa

[Essie Marie]

Wow, lol yeah as many others have already stated: "Yes, your classmates are delusional".

It reminds me of a former classmate in our 1st semester who was surprised to learn that nurses, *gasp* make Pt's beds. Her remark afterwards was that she thought that's what housekeeping was for. hehe

[AnnaN5]

If they think they are too good to clean up poop or vomit they will be finding themselves doing alot of it on the floor. Our CNAs are great but if they think you are lazy or too good to do it yourself then you will find yourself dealing with alot of crap yourself. Teamwork goes a long way!