Be a nurse or not?! HELP ME PLEASE!

Bruce_Wayne, ASN, RN · Oct 29, 2011

Poo is a prereq for nursing. No pooey, no nursey.

sdlane · Oct 29, 2011

There are numerous departments in nursing , you will find your niche like everyone else in nursing does. Poo is not that bad, use vicks under your nose.

ENT RN · Oct 29, 2011

@ sdlane that vick idea i like. it's just hard for me to handel smells. i hope i find it soon because i need to transfer asap.

rchembunny · Oct 29, 2011

Many people are referring to the heart of nursing in opposition to your characterization of nursing. I think it's just as important to point out that nurses must also maintain a high level of competency in the science and fundamentals of human health to assess patients and plan appropriate interventions that maximize patient health and prevent adverse outcomes. Nursing is a science and body of knowledge that is, importantly, combined with caring (the art of nursing). One cannot exist without the other. The point is, nursing is not a profession of simple minded people who just want to hold someone's hand to make them feel better and , contrarily, it is not a cold profession for intelligent people to heartlessly carry out nursing assessments and interventions. It is a profession meant for those people who uniquely combine the two qualities of caring and intelligence to carry out the art and science of nursing and change people's lives.

Specifically regarding your question: I love my job! I was a biochemist for 10 years prior to this job and hated it. Having experienced both extremes of the spectrum, I would advise that you follow your heart and not the money. You will succeed where you have passion and, more importantly, you will be happy doing what you love every day.

nohika · Oct 29, 2011

patients faint, vomit, scream yell, spit at you and then some! i do everything! i clean suctions, bathrooms, blood, vomit, call patients, pharmacies, and insurance. just everything. the job is crazy, along with the dangers. yes i am aware of needle sticks because on my bday i was sitting in the hospital because i got poked. 10/3. now for a whole year i need to be worried. getting my blood taking to make sure everything is good. i'm exposed to bodily fluids, needles, and a million chemicals every day.

i think pretty much everything you hate/dislike about your current job will be amplified in nursing.

beyond the needle stick, this looks like an easy/normal shift in the er if you ask me. maybe a mild day on med-surg?

DizzyLizzyNurse · Oct 29, 2011

I'm 20 and I'm torn! I want to be a dietitian because that's my passion but Dietitcs and Nursing have similar classes. But A BIG BUT, nursing pays alot more. =( I really am stuck, im not sure what to do. My only problem about nursing is, I dont want to clean people's fecal matter lol ewa. So a question to the nurses, how often do you guys change adult diapers and deal with that kind of stuff? I am thinking of maybe specializing in the surgical area. I do not mind blood at all, what bothers me thought is well, poop! And vomit. Like cleaning it up. Do you guys do that ALOT? Are CNA's there to help you??
My cousin's a nurse who tells me all these digusting stories. On the other hand, one of my uncle, who is also a nurse. I think he's a surgical nurse or work's as a surgical nurse tells me he does not do anything like diaper changing. So, do different nurses deal with different level's of poop and vomit clean up? I know I want to be in the medical field. And seeing nasty things are normal, but I just don't want to be a janitor. I'm thinking about transfering to UIC, ( University of Illinois at Chicago) ISU (Illinois state university) Or loyola. I am from Illinois. If any one from there knows a good university please include that as well. What else can you advise? Is it a rewarding career.
How much do get paid? What was your starting? When did you start? Where do you work ( states locations) What are your benefits? How much do you work? Hours and days? What is you day like? Your responsiblities?? Do you like your job? Why? Please no general answers. I answers specific to you. Because I know the "general answers"
I am currently a dental assistant, and a full time student at a community college with really good drades. But just confused. Any info is going to be GREATly appreciated =)
THANK YOU 4 TAKING THE TIME!!!

First of all how insulting to call nurses janitors. You said you didn't mean to insult anyone but what did you expect to happen saying that? If you want to be a nurse you need to think about how things that you say will be interpreted.

Second of all, there is A LOT more to nursing than poop. There is teaching, knowledge about body parts, meds, treatments....lots of stuff depending on where you work.

Even if you eventually plan to work a desk job where you don't come in contact with the 3 P's (puke, ****, or poop:lol2:) you need at least a few years of experience before you will even be considered for those jobs. And in school you will mostly have clinical on med surge sites so guess what.....you will be dealing with poop. Years of it before you graduated.

Part of being a nurse is making your patient feel better. Most will be absolutely humiliated by not being able to control their body. You will have to not only clean up an adult's BM, you'll have to do it with a smile (or at least not act grossed out or mad). I was teaching a patient the other day about taking care of his own new colostomy and he accidentally spilled it. He was crying because he was so embarrassed. I had to tell him it wasn't a big deal, accidents happen, he'll learn, and then I got some new linen and helped him clean himself up. I couldn't sigh, act mad, complain. It's part of the job. Today he did it successfully himself and he was so proud of himself. It was awesome.

I always recommend that someone works as a CNA before going to nursing school. It's the most physical tough part of nursing and the dirtiest. Also then when you are a nurse you will have more respect for your aides. They aren't just there to save you from cleaning up poop. They are essential members of the team!!! Also, you will make more than minimum wage. Some nursing homes will pay you to train you and take the test.

I was a CNA for 2.5 years, an LPN for 7 years, and I've been an RN for almost a year now. Even as an RN I still toilet people, help them get changed etc. Of course I don't do that as much as I did as an aide because I have a lot more responsibility and things to do. But if I'm not busy I do it.

Ok I think it's wise that you are checking out a profession instead of diving in head first. I don't think there is anything wrong with asking about pay. I don't agree that it's bad that a nurse asks about money.

I just got hired at my first RN job (that's another thing...not so easy to find jobs these days. Even with all my experience it took me 9 months). I make $24.61/hour plus $3 shift differential for working afternoons. I work in a rehab unit and they do 8 hours shifts instead of 12 hour shifts. I live in NY state. I will have full benefits in December. I work every other weekend. 3p to 7 p 5 days a week. I'm not sure what will happen with holidays but since I'm now low man on the totem pole, I have a feeling I'll be working a lot of them. Last year, at my old job where I worked midnights, I missed New Year's Eve because it was my turn to work it. Sucks being in your 20's and missing New Year's but it's part of the job.

At my rehab place (rehab BTW is for people who aren't sick enough to be in the hospital, but are too ill to go home. Sometimes they have IV antibiotics or need physical therapy.) I do treatments and pass a lot of meds. I do charting, take admissions, get dr's orders verified and make sure the pt's needs are met. (Like when dietary keeps forgetting certain people's dinner trays :uhoh3: it's up to use nurses to make sure everyone gets dinner). I am the only RN on the floor so I'm in responsible for everyone's IVs. We monitor our pts for changes because some people are fragile and go downhill quick. We are the dr's eyes and ears. I love nursing itself. I hate the politics and junk that goes with it sometimes, but I love being a nurse. Even when I have to clean up after someone's spilled colostomy.

Good luck and if I were you I'd work as a CNA for a while to get an idea of what nurses do all day.

DizzyLizzyNurse · Oct 29, 2011

Many people are referring to the heart of nursing in opposition to your characterization of nursing. I think it's just as important to point out that nurses must also maintain a high level of competency in the science and fundamentals of human health to assess patients and plan appropriate interventions that maximize patient health and prevent adverse outcomes. Nursing is a science and body of knowledge that is, importantly, combined with caring (the art of nursing). One cannot exist without the other. The point is, nursing is not a profession of simple minded people who just want to hold someone's hand to make them feel better and , contrarily, it is not a cold profession for intelligent people to heartlessly carry out nursing assessments and interventions. It is a profession meant for those people who uniquely combine the two qualities of caring and intelligence to carry out the art and science of nursing and change people's lives.

Just wanted to say I LOVE this!!!!!!!!! :nurse:

imintrouble, BSN, RN · Oct 29, 2011

On any given day I am a cook, a waitress, a mechanic, a counselor, a mediator, a housekeeper, and yes, a janitor.

I am not demeaned by any of those jobs.

I guess it's just the way you look at it.

joanna73, BSN, RN · Oct 29, 2011

Nursing is definitely not for you, OP. Don't bother. Its a given that no matter where you work, you may have to clean up poo, vomit, blood, spit. The way you're looking at this is not the right way. You're helping someone, so you do what needs to be done.

tishluvnc · Oct 29, 2011

I'm a cna unsure myself, I know I want to stay in health care, but not sure if nursing is the correct place for me. I've been a cna in home health and I undestand when they say nights, weekends, and hollidays. I wan't a standard 9 to 5 job, but I want to stay in health care. I love human biology and medical terminology.

In a perfect world, I too would have became a Registered dietitian, but there are no programs around me and I can't relocate. So I'm contemplating nursing, I'm also tired of the lifting and cleaning poop, so I understand what the nurses are saying. I'ts a huge investment and decision.

I also, thought about dental hygenist, why don't you want to stay in dentistry? I would assume because nursing have more options?

rksgray13 · Oct 29, 2011

OMG, really? You would be the type of nurse other nurses would strangle. Do not go into nursing. Your pts wouldn't approve.

Hospice Nurse LPN, BSN, RN · Oct 29, 2011

I just have a weak stomach to smells. I worked on teams with CNA's RNs, doctors counselors and many people at a hospice. Some CNA's do the dirty work, some don't. And most RN's never did any kind of dirty work. And this was at a hospice where most people are old.

I just had to chime in on this. Exactly what did you do when you worked for a hospice? If my pt poops, I clean them. If they vomit, I clean them. If they cry, I hold them. Just yesterday, one of my dementia pts in LTC started to cry for no apparent reason. I sat w/ her and held her. She moved closer to me and wanted to be hugged, so I did. After about 15 minutes, she settled down. I looked down at my scrub top and saw I had snot (and what appeared to be graham crackers) smeared all over. I wiped it off the best I could and one of the CNA's said, "just leave alone. it shows you're a good nurse."