Did you ever wonder...

[manna]

before you started nursing school, or for those of you who are through - before you became a nurse... if you could handle it?

I'm a waffling pre-nursing/pre-med student, that's posted here off and on in the past... I doubt anyone remembers me. :)

Anyway, being realistic, I know I want to enter the medical field. I ultimately would like to go to medical school, but realize that isn't an attainable goal, financially or emotionally at the moment (I have two small children and work full-time).

I'm not considering nursing as a "second choice," and certainly don't mean to put nursing as a profession down.

I think it is a wonderfully noble profession... I'm just worried about some of the "yuck" factor involved.

Before you started nursing school, were you intimidated about the thought of caring for people's bodily functions? Changing beds, cleaning people up, etc?

I feel terrible posting, since it seems like such a shallow question, but I wonder if these fears mean that I'm really not cut out to try nursing... or if it's a process that people do go through... almost like a fear of the unknown.

I want to say that I could look at a person who was vomiting, or sick, or needed help using the restroom and realize that this is an ailing person who needs my help... rather than something gross.

I just don't know... I guess I needed a sounding board, and thought I'd post.

Hope I didn't offend anybody.. please no flames. :)

[CVnurse08]

I kinda also have this same fear. What do you think about becoming a CNA first to get over this fear ?? I am planning on becoming a CNA within the next year and know that it will involve a whole lot of the yuck factor and hope that it will help me get over it. That is, if I can stand it !!! :)

[babynursewannab]

I started in the same way...med school on the brain, but children in tow. I decided on nursing and returning to school eventually to become a midwife.

Your concerns are natural. I feel safe saying most of us either considered the "yuck factor" as we were preparing to enter school or we were rudely introduced to it once we started. You get over it. However, everybody seems to always have one little thing that gets 'em. Common ones are mucous, vomit and diarrhea. Don't say as I blame them! :chuckle

Good luck, and, by the way, wanabebabynurse, nice screen name.

[Gampopa]

Seems like a typical fear to be dealing with. When I first started thinking about nuring school I had that concern too. What helpes me is walking around town and just looking at people-very large men and women, homeless, really unclean etc. and reminding myself that I'd be taking care of these people, cleaning them up, putting in caths., and I'd just picture myself doing that. We'll see how effective that's been this fall:p When I did some hospice volunteering I helped an elderly woman to the bedside comode and when she was done she just lifted herself up and presented her bottom to me to clean. At first I was like "Um, let me get a nurse" but then figured why not? I can certainly do this for her and it wasn't a big deal.

[Mkue]

I only wished I had gone to nursing school sooner but everything has worked out for the best !:)

[Chaya, ASN, RN]

Manna-

You're a MOM- what is there that you HAVEN'T cleaned up yet?

Seriously- for me the "yuck" factor came with motherhood; the raspberry jam kisses, snot running down the face, poop rubbed in hair, technicolor vomit, wiping someone else's butt- I'm sure you have your own images. Yeah, they're yours, but poop is poop and vomit is vomit.. I was a mom before I was a nurse and after cleaning up after kids, nothing had bothered me since.

Good luck!

[LilgirlRN, ADN, RN]

You don't have to decide right now ya know. One of the doc's I used to work with started out as an LPN, then RN, then CRNA then got his MD and is an MDA. A wonderful doc to work with because he can relate to being a nurse. Good luck in whichever way you decide to go :) Wendy