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I am a nursing student at Jacksonville State University. After doing clinical, I think I would like an RN job that limit contact with dirty stuff because I felt uncomfortable if I have to smell or see feces, vomit, wounds, or urine. In general, I want a cleaner job like outpatient RNs, whose job is mainly taking vital signs and assessment. Anybody want to give me advice about what nursing field is suitable for me or want to share your experience with me? By the way, I would like to work at UAB after graduation.
I can totally understand your reasoning (yeah that stuff is yuck!), but those jobs almost always go to more experienced nurses so you may need to put in some time with some major bodily fluids for a while. Look for any jobs in the outpatient arena in order to decrease your bodily fluid exposure, but realize it will be hard to avoid completely.
i agree. most nurses that get/have the jobs that don't involve bodily fluids have put in their time dealing with them already. i think it IS fair to say nursing might not be for someone who really doesn't like dealing with bodily functions - unless they know someone that's gonna shoot them straight to the top of the ladder.
I'm on your same boat. I've completed my third clinical as a graduate RN student (entry masters program for non-nurses) and am finding it very hard to stick through the vomit, urine, and poop. I know I love the aspect of caring that the nursing profession entails, I just am now realizing I don't have the guts for this part of the job. I will never let anyone tell me that because of this, nursing is not for me, because in my heart I know it is. The reason I came into nursing is to be an NP. Maybe you should also consider continuing your education to become an advanced practice nurse (NP, CRNA, PHD). You will promote patient care in ways that don't involve cleaning their bodily secretions (like run diagnostic tests, prescribe meds, and patient education). I know that is what attracted me to nursing.
I'm confident that there is a spot in nursing that is just right for us both, and we'll find it!
You can add public health nursing to this list. However, be aware that most of these jobs will want you to have acute care (i.e. hospital inpatient) experience first before they'll hire you.
This bears repeating. Almost all "cleaner" nursing jobs require you to pay your dues at the bedside first. And bedside nursing will require a certain amount of blood, urine, poo and vomit.
We all have to start somewhere. There are jobs out there such as working in a doctor's office (which you can do as a new grad, but that doesn't always work), going into research, informatics, working at outpatient centers, etc...most of those positions require previous experience. You'll get your experience working as a floor nurse where chances are you'll deal with a lot of bodily fluids. No one LOVES dealing with that stuff, but it is part of the job!
I'm just going to put it out there that i don't think any nurse ENJOYS our "dirty" part of the job. I don't enjoy cleaning feces, or smelling it, or cleaning vomit, or collecting sputum, suctioning trachs etc. It's nasty...it's gross, but it goes with the job and it has to be done. Eventually you just get so used it, it eventually stops becoming that grosse, but still doesn't mean i enjoy it!
kyonguyen22
24 Posts
I was planning to go straight to ANP after BSN too. But in case I don't get accepted, I have to work for a while and reapply. The ANP program in the school I want to go to does not require experience.