Be a nurse or not?! HELP ME PLEASE!

[ENT RN]

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!!!

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

I so clearly remember the day when, as a new nurse aide, I had to take a tongue blade and collect a stool sample from a bedpan. It was weird.

But you know what?

I hardly remember any more such feelings. I know that non-nurses, especially very young ones, focus on bowel movements. Why, I can't remember, perhaps because we were all potty trained and taught that bowel movements were filthy and disgusting so long ago or for some other non-experiential reason.

Reality? Doesn't matter. Really. It's not as if you will spend all day, every day at your whole career as a nurse doing nothing but cleaning up feces. Weeks or even months or maybe years go by where this is just not even on the radar, because so many more significant things are going on. And when the odd BM comes into your orbit, you'll deal with it as routinely as you currently pay a bill or use a tampon. Not your favorite thing in the world, but really forgettable in the infinite scheme of things.

Here's some good calming advice I got once when I called the Poison Control line after my toddler picked up some dry dog feces off the sidewalk and mouthed it. "Wipe out his mouth, give him some water to drink, and try not to think about it." It was so perfect I just had to laugh, because of course they were right.

So. As in parenting a small person, there's so much more to think about in nursing than something that's not really important. "Try not to think about it." Good advice.