what areas of nursing would involve the least poop wiping?

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Hi All,

I am not too crazy about poop wiping and hygeine care...but of course if I have to do it I wouldn't mind....But I am wondering any nurses out there in any specific specialty where you don't have to do too much of that kind of stuff. Personally I am very interest in operating room (I would have become a surgeon of any kind if I could). Thank you for your input.:jester:

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Specializes in SRNA.

There are several threads that already address this question. Perhaps you should use the search feature in the upper right hand portion of the site and use the search term "poop."

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I would stay away from long term care for sure. There was just a long thread about this topic. I think it basically came down to you could probably find a job like that, but it might take a few years in the trenches before you could apply. I'm not in the operating room, but I remember someone mentioning having to wipe poop there too.

Really no one likes to wipe butts, but as a nurse you see it as one of the things that contributes to a patients well being and comfort. If you can come from it at that angle, it may help. ;)

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A nurse, who was childless, once told me that when she was doing her OB rotations, her non-nursing friends all said, "That would be so fun!" and it wasn't for her. She said that she never got peed on, pooped on, or barfed on quite as much as she did in that newborn nursery, and every boy who passed through there must have said in baby code, "Hey, everyone, that nurse over there doesn't like babies very much! FWEEEEEEEE!"

:chuckle

School nursing, maybe? A school nurse once said that they are not allowed to clean up "accidents."

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

I don't get it. I know that when I am a student I will be "the poop wiper" I know that when I start working as an RN I will have to pay my dues and deal with poop. I may always have to. I don't understand why anyone would want to go into the nursing field and then pick and choose what does and doesn't gross them out. I guess I feel that I have a "pure calling". I just want to help people in any way possible and if it involves poop, urine, and vomit well so be it.

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Specializes in ER/Ortho.

I worked long term care as a CNA when I was about 19 or so (I am 38 now.) I wiped a lot of poop and other bodily fluids. I know I can do it, but I would rather not. If it comes up I will do what I need to do, but I would prefer to be more in the medical side of things, and less into clean up.

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