I HATE this!!!!

Students CNA/MA

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Heidi W

31 Posts

I'll tell you something I haven't shared with anyone. While I was going through the classroom portion of my CNA training, I HATED it too. I wasn't sure what all a CNA did except help people and I thought "hey I love helping people, I should do this!" So yeah when I found out about all the dirty work involved I was so worried that I would waste all this money on a class and not want to do it as a job. When I first stepped into the nursing home for clinicals the smell made me sick and I didn't know what to do with myself. But then I sucked it up and fed them and cleaned them and you know what? I ended up loving it. It's such a great feeling to know that you are aleiviating someone's pain or discomfort.

I wanted to be CNA to decide if I wanted to go on to be a nurse. So my advice to you is see your class through to the end, then if you still feel this way nursing probably isn't for you. If you want to stick with the medical field, try looking at other options in specialized fields like physical or occupational therapy or something...that's all I can think of right now.

I hope this helps. Good Luck with your future.

Sabby_NC

983 Posts

Specializes in ICU, SDU, OR, RR, Ortho, Hospice RN.

I think if you have all these foibles then maybe you need to rethink about being in the nursing profession because whether you are a CNA, LPN or RN you touch patients daily. Touch is very important in the nursing profession. Gawd my patients even give me hugs and kisses now that I love :)

Specializes in ICU, PICC Nurse, Nursing Supervisor.

ive worked places were people get supp daily for constipation and once we got up to about 12 supp daily...

i'm also a nursing student(adn program) and i know it depends on personal experience but how often do you think a nurse has to administer medications that could be in the rectal or lady partsl area?

Rizpah

121 Posts

Specializes in LTC / SNF / Geriatrics.

I started my nursing career as a CNA 16 years ago, yesterday, as a matter of fact. I needed a job. For the first 6 months, I went home crying EVERY NIGHT - telling my husband, "I can't go back, I can't do this!" He was supportive and told me to do what I had to do, to make whatever decisions I had to make. I HATED my job - I had pee-poor co-workers with rotten attitudes and mean spirits and charge nurses that did nothing about them. At the 6 month point, something in me clicked and I decided, "I CAN do this." And I decided that I wanted to go to school, further my education and be in a position where I could really make a difference. I went for my LPN, then my RN, now I teach CNA class and I incorporate sensitivity training into the program so no other new CNAs have to go through what I did and that the residents receive compassionate and skilled care.

I agree with one of the other posts, what drew you into nursing? - that's the big question. I did have twinges of wanting to be a nurse when I was in the hospital having my babies, but never acted on it until I was 30 years old. Yes, all the icky stuff can get to you, but there is a lot of good stuff too. When you are the person who can make a resident feel better, put a smile on their face or get them to eat something when no one else was able to. When they reach out an take your hand and say "thank you", for me, one good thing wipes out a multitude of the bad things. You just have to look...........Good luck in your decision!

DesertRain

443 Posts

Specializes in CNA, RN Student.

I thought that I would hate it and find it disgusting too. I also hated the LTC environment initially. But then the poop and the pee and the vomit and emptying colostomy's etc etc is meaningless to me. It actually was never a problem to begin with (contrary to what I expected) and most of the people I graduated my CNA class with also don't have problems with the "dirty" work, provided we are all so rewarded by knowing these people are being helped and taken care of. Even the LTC environment wasn't so "depressing" as I first thought. I am so appreciative of being exposed to the ground work of Nursing before I start actual RN school this fall. I know that if I can deal with that, I can deal with anything "yucky" so I honestly think that you should take a detour. A friend of mine took the CNA class and realized that nursing wasn't for her and is now a school psychologist. Or, if you want to help people without touching them, what about Social Work? That way you can work with the nurses who will do the work you don't want to do and still can be proud at the end of the day for helping someone? Good luck!

Imissthefall

65 Posts

I wouldn't throw in the towel to this person just yet, because many people are disillusioned about nursing, yet, rebound to become excellent nurses. I can agree, as a nurse myself, that becoming an LPN or RN is a long, hard and isolated road, filled with fear and frustration. While the OPs post does leave one to ponder if she/he can, in fact survive nursnig school or generate compassion, I have seen even worse become the best once reality has set in. Or, get thrown out of the nursing program in fundamentals.

My first semester in nursing school was uneventful until the told me that I had to drop NG tubes. I can deal with the piss, poop and vomit, but something about placing something into someone's throat made me lose my cool. But, I did it. Luckily, I have not had to do it since I became a nurse, but if it does, I will take a deep breath, make sure that a more seasoned nurse is around and do what I have to do.

I agree. It's not late for the original poster yet. Don't give up, dry beinga CNA and then decide. I'm in a CNA class right now and last night our instuctor was showing how to wash the genital area for a man and a women, she had a dummy with removeable parts. This young girl in my class looked like she was about to pass out, her face got all red and you could tell she's cleary uncomfortable. Esp when our instructor was explaining whato do if the male is not cirsimsized. But she really wants to be nurse and although she really doesn't wnat to wash men's member' it's just part of the job..

So don't give up yet. If you really want to be a nurse you'll get through it. Don't be to hard on yourself either. Many people are really uncomfortable giving baths at first! Good luck!

DesertRain

443 Posts

Specializes in CNA, RN Student.
I agree. It's not late for the original poster yet. Don't give up, dry beinga CNA and then decide. I'm in a CNA class right now and last night our instuctor was showing how to wash the genital area for a man and a women, she had a dummy with removeable parts. This young girl in my class looked like she was about to pass out, her face got all red and you could tell she's cleary uncomfortable. Esp when our instructor was explaining whato do if the male is not cirsimsized. But she really wants to be nurse and although she really doesn't wnat to wash men's member' it's just part of the job..

So don't give up yet. If you really want to be a nurse you'll get through it. Don't be to hard on yourself either. Many people are really uncomfortable giving baths at first! Good luck!

I had a girl like that in my class too. She had never physically seen a member in real life before and when we got to the actual direct patient contact part of our clinicals, she freaked out when she was assigned a man for peri care the first time. At the end of our program she had gotten so used to it that it didn't even phase her anymore.

I'm also a nursing student(ADN program) and I know it depends on personal experience but how often do you think a nurse has to administer medications that could be in the rectal or lady partsl area?

Well, I cath two residents q shift, give one an enema Q3 days, provide digital stim to one Q2, help clean up lots of them when the aides are too busy.

Nursing is not the way to go if "touching people," as the OP said, let alone bodily discharges, skeeves you.

BellaBloo

4 Posts

Well, first I want to thank everyone for genuinely offering supportive advice, either to stick with it or get out. I appreciate all opinions and views, and I have looked at the issue from several different viewpoints than I had thought about before.

What drew me to nursing? I have to say that honestly it is the scientific aspect. I have no problem with the fluids one they are not attached to the person- weird, I know, but it's just me. I really want to be a CRNA eventually, and this is just part of the process. Before anyone flies off the handle about how I should be more empathetic before I have anyone's life in my hands, I am very scientifically/ technically minded and am very good handling stress under difficult situations. It is just that I am not as emotional a person as I probably should be if providing bedside care. (please don't think I am some kind of cold, hard b-tch. I am really just trying to be honest here and get some direction from the pros.) I like people and truly appreciate the sanctity of life. But I think I might be better suited to a more technical than personal aspect of care. I read some postings about anesthesia assistants, but they seem to have less flexibility than CRNA's. The anesthesia part just fascinates me.

Anyways, just a little explanation, and thanks again for all responses. This is a big decision for me!

Specializes in cardiology, psychiatry, corrections.

If it is the science of it that fascinates you, then I don't think nursing is really for you. A very large portion of it is caring. You need to genuinely care about your patients, interacting with them and their sometimes demanding and unreasonable family members, and enjoy making a difference in their lives. It's good that you have an ultimate goal, but you have to do some less glamourous stuff first in order to get there. Depending on which area or nursing you will work in (if you still decide to go the RN route) you will still be deaing with blood and body fluids. And you will most definitely have to get comfortable with touching people. If you can't get past this, then you should reconsider your career path. You say you like the science of it? You can still work in the healthcare field. I can't think of that many careers off the top of my head right now but maybe you might want to consider pharmacy, (this involves a LOT of science but also pt education) maybe a microbiologist or a science professor.

casi, ASN, RN

2,063 Posts

Specializes in LTC.

Bella stick out the CNA course and the clinicals. You're already part way through and you never actually know if you can handle a situation until you are in it. Stories of cleaning up peope who have taken up using feces as body paint are quite horrifying, but once you get in there cleaning that person up it's a completely different story.

If the scientific aspect draws you into nursing explore health care and see what else is out there that may be for you. What about being a lab technologist? I've considered this several times. I too love the sciences. I'm one of the few who acctually had fun in classes like Chem and Micro, the info just made sense to me. The only reason I didn't change my major was that I really enjoy the patient care aspect of nursing.

Also look into shadowing different people in health care jobs. Shadow a nurse or a CRNA and see if it is something that you would want to do.

Scrubz

252 Posts

Sweetie, Get out now,:nono: . What guided you to the nursing field? I'm sure there's something out there your heart will love. My dad told me this as a kid, find something you really enjoy doing, that way all the exernal things will not interfere. I can honestly say, I still enjoy nursing & still can come to work with a smile,

Agreed..

What you don't like touching other people? I would not reccomend nursing at all. Everyone doesn't like at least one or two aspects of nursing, but what you don't like is an essential feature that all nurses have to put up with. So I'd back out before you got in deep and then ditched. Save yourself some time and effort.

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