Can someone please tell me exaclty what RN's do?

Wsmith16, ADN, BSN · Sep 11, 2008

ACtually you really would get a better idea of what RN's do if you were able to shadow. If not maybe you should volunteer at a hospital to get a better sense alot of hospitals ae in need of volunteers. RN's do everything---it's hard to put it into words.

In the end you gotta have a love for what you do, colostomy bags, bedpans & all. Nurses do that & so much more....

Lylesmom · Sep 11, 2008

Well a great RN is not above doing the basic cares that a person may need...sometimes all a person needs to feel better is to empty their bedpan, since one of the most private things a person would like to do, is go to the bathroom without having to be embarassed because the RN is beneath empting a bedpan...If you are going to be a nurse, do it for the right reasons, to help people with whatever they need, in their greatest time of need. No one wants to depend on someone else to do the things they were so independant in doing for so long. The worst thing is for them to feel like they are a burden on another person.

Lorie P. · Sep 11, 2008

hey girls and guys. i am a career changer, already have a 4 year degree in business, looking to get my bsn and my rn (maybe). can some of the rn's out there specifically tell me what they do during they day? i have heard mixed results on what rn's acutually do during the day and i am starting to steer away from the field. i dont feel like going through 3 more years of school if i have to empty bedpans and colostomy bags all the time, do rn's have to do this stuff? yes, rn's. lpn's cna's have to do this stuff and more! being a nurse you can not pick and choose what needs to be done for a pt.
i really like helping people and i love medicine but i dont think i can do that all the time.
emptying bedpans, cleaning up poop, emptying a colostomy bag is helping people. providing basic care is required!
i am havent shadowed an rn yet because of hippa rules and i dont think i would actually get a good idea of what they do anyways for that reason.
how else do you think you would get a good idea of what a nurse does?
there is a level one trauma teaching hospital here in my town im interested in but what would an rn in say the icu
these patients are very critical when in the icu and most can not do anything for themselves, the reason they are unit pts. not trying to be smart, but who do you think has to bath, clean up poop, empty foley', change linens, vomit, etc, etc for these pt's??
or maybe even med/surg do during the day? be specific as possible if you could. i greatly appreciate the help. thank you.

i really hope that you get a chance to follow a nurse either in the icu, med/surge or where ever so that you get a" realistic idea" of what nursing is and not what is played out on tv or movies.

GOMER42 · Sep 12, 2008

If you're afraid of dirty work, I'd suggest that you keep on steering away.

Nurses come in contact with blood, poop, pee, sputum, vomit, etc. on a regular basis. You can't throw your hands up and run screaming.

Why would you seriously consider changing careers to a field that you have NO IDEA about?

HIPAA doesn't prohibit outsiders from shadowing a healthcare professional, so I suggest you shadow ASAP before you make any academic decisions.

november17, ASN, RN · Sep 12, 2008

I dont feel like going through 3 more years of school if i have to empty bedpans and colostomy bags all the time, do RN's have to do this stuff? I really like helping people and i love medicine but i dont think i can do that all the time.

An RN in ICU or med/surg would be the most likely to come in contact with bedpans/colostomies/etc.

Just curious, but why nursing? If the pull is strong enough you might be able to overlook those sorts of things.

jjjoy, LPN · Sep 12, 2008

Why would you seriously consider changing careers to a field that you have NO IDEA about?

A person's gotta start somewhere in considering possibilities. There are MANY potential careers out there that most of us have no idea about but for TV or a one page description in a career guidance book. And from that little bit of info, our curiosity might be sparked and so we "consider" it and start asking questions. Let's encourage folks to not be satisfied with glossed over images of what the field is and not castigate someone for asking about the reality of nursing. I've heard many a nurse recruiter emphasize how nursing is "so much more than" bedside care, pointing to nurse practitioners, CRNAs, case managers and the like, while just breezing over the fact that they'll likely have a hard time integrating into those roles (assuming they can get into the programs and get those jobs) without having a strong foundation in basic bedside care.

HIPAA doesn't prohibit outsiders from shadowing a healthcare professional, so I suggest you shadow ASAP before you make any academic decisions.

HIPAA doesn't prohibit it, but facilities/administrators that strictly interpret HIPAA and patient privacy rights *DO* prohibit it. I was refused from shadowing in several places for that reason. But other places did allow it. So, to the OP, don't give up on shadowing just because you got a couple of no's. Keep asking different people and different departments until you get some 'yes's'.

Also, ask friends and acquaintances if they know any nurses and if they can give you their contact info so you can interview them... and then ask if you can shadow them at their work!!

allnurses Guide · Sep 12, 2008

Why nursing, indeed? What draws you to it? Do you have a lot of family that are nurses?

You really do need to find a place to shadow nurses, in order to get any REAL idea of what RN's do. Either that, or maybe you could get a job as an aide. But you've said that you don't want to empty colostomies or apply bedpans, so that job may be out.

Nursing is pretty much about helping people get well and get out of the hospital and back to their lives; through collaboration with doctors and other allied health professionals. It really is a very very complex job; it is MUCH more than emptying colostomies and such; though that still remains a big part of it.

If you are interested in helping people, truly interested in that, it's a great job for you. If you aren't, and that's OK if you aren't, then you may decide to look elsewhere.

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · Sep 12, 2008

You really do need to find a place to shadow nurses, in order to get any REAL idea of what RN's do. Either that, or maybe you could get a job as an aide. But you've said that you don't want to empty colostomies or apply bedpans, so that job may be out.

Ah, but I think that's EXACTLY the right idea here. I really think that the best way to find out what nurses do on a daily basis is to work alongside them. Even shadowing one for a day is sketchy; suppose the facility that finally allows Tamarin to shadow for a day doesn't allow her (or him) to see what really needs to be seen? HIPPA can be a true pain when it comes to job shadowing; we don't allow it in our facility at all. So, Tamarin may not even see the true nature of the job this way.

My suggestion would be 100% to get a part-time job as an aide. Find a facility that will give you basic training (not require a CNA cert) and will allow you to be a per diem or part-time based on your availability. THEN you can see what goes on, and whether it's for you.

Use that time NOT to complain that the nurses leave all the dirty work for you to do while they just stand there (they don't, and they're not). DO use the time to observe, ask questions, and really get a feel for what it is they ARE doing (not just what you're assuming they are and are not doing).

Some of our nurses used to be techs (aides) in our hospital, and that's just how they started :)

Whatever you do, please don't make a decision based on what someone in a position to sell you a program tells you, or something in a glossy brochure. They aren't real. TV series and movies are so FAR from real, it isn't funny. Get out there and see for yourself! :)

Best of luck to you!

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · Sep 12, 2008

Something just occured to me, Tamarin. You already know you're going to be spending a few years in getting a nursing degree. Since we know that it doesn't TAKE 3 years to learn how to wipe butts and empty colostomies, if you think about it, you already know there's ALOT to being an RN aside from that, yes?

If it takes that much time to learn the basics of being an RN before you qualify to sit for a national licensing exam, you must realize that there's alot more involved than butt wiping

RedhairedNurse, BSN, RN · Sep 12, 2008

work extremely hard and extremly underpaid !!!!

nursemary9, BSN, RN · Sep 12, 2008

Hey girls and guys. I am a career changer, already have a 4 year degree in business, looking to get my BSN and my RN (maybe). Can some of the RN's out there specifically tell me what they do during they day? I have heard mixed results on what RN's acutually do during the day and i am starting to steer away from the field. I dont feel like going through 3 more years of school if i have to empty bedpans and colostomy bags all the time, do RN's have to do this stuff? I really like helping people and i love medicine but i dont think i can do that all the time.
I am havent shadowed an RN yet because of HIPPA rules and i dont think i would actually get a good idea of what they do anyways for that reason. There is a level one trauma teaching hospital here in my town im interested in but what would an RN in say the ICU or maybe even med/surg do during the day? Be specific as possible if you could. I greatly appreciate the help. thank you.

I'm really fed up with people like you deciding that MAYBE you want this profession, but then don't want to do any of the work required.

There is NOTHING to me that is anymore rewarding then doing some of these types of jobs for a patient. These are the things that we do for a pt. that help to make then feel better. here they are, so embarassed about soiling or b/c they can't do something for themselves, & it's an opportunity to make them feel more relaxed, increase there feeling of well-being & there feeling of worthiness. Plus, it gives me a way to assess there entire body & mind. I can do teaching at this time while I work, or evaluate their mental status by how they carry on a conversation.

No, with you're attitude, stay away.