Don't wanna always give baths, clean up feces, etc., where to work?

Nurses General Nursing

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In clinicals we just give baths, clean up poop and puke, and feed patients. I honestly want nothing to do with this once I'm a nurse, so, where/what floors can I work on as a new grad, in order to avoid this? I do have an interest in Psych nursing.

I'm going to say something not so popular but here goes anyway. I graduate in 3 weeks from nursing school and I just accepted a position at an acute care psychiatric facility on a unit that only admits 18-50 y\o males with schizophrenia who are ambulatory and self-care.

I sought this job out because a) I love treating patients with schizophrenia and b) I hate cleaning up feces and I know this type of patient is going to be 99% continent....

I have worked w/ male schizophrenics. A number of them are chronic mastubators. They can leave things nastier than poo that need to be cleaned up.

-And there ain't no way I'm embracing that.

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Originally Posted by Hellllllo Nurse

From what I've been seeing, I think it's very true. At least in the US. Things may be different in Oz.

Hey, as a new grad I have to say that that remark is rather inflammatory.....

That was inflammatory? Okay.

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Specializes in Licensed Practical Nurse.

hey wannabcrna!! i know the perfect place, out the nursing career door!! lol!, no seriously you cant run or hide from it!! although i've been a nurse for a year and i havent cleaned any poop yet, but guess where i work, ltc!!!!!!!:uhoh21:

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Specializes in home health, peds, case management.
i don't think anyone said or meant that one is less of a nurse just because they don't deal with patients losing their bodily fluids on a day-to-day basis. rather, the argument being made is that some nurses....and i stress the word some....come across with this "holier than though/i'm above the law/i'm too good for that" attitude. thus, it is beneath them as nurses if they are ever asked or expected to do the tedious "cna tasks" because now that they have a bunch of initials after their name, doing anything more than what an rn or lpn does would be wrong and tarnishing to their reputation. guess what? i'm an lpn who bathes & toilets patients every day in addition to doing assessments(data collections), administering meds, etc. am i less of a nurse for doing so? no! am i more of a nurse for dong so? no! does it make me feel like i'm "doing the cna work"? no! to me, it's all a part of nursing!!

as i mentioned in an earlier post, what did nurses do back in the day when they didn't have cnas? did they just leave the patients to soak in their own urine or stool, only to realize this leads to skin breakdown on top of other problems? or did they dive in and care for the patient at one of their most important times of need? some of us need to get off our high horses and bring our egos back down to reality.

i don't disagree that this is an integral part of direct care, no matter the letters after your name, for the precise reasons that have been reiterated (and reiterated, and reiterated....) and i hope youre not implying that it is i upon that high horse....im afraid of heights!!!however, the original inquiry was:

in clinicals we just give baths, clean up poop and puke, and feed patients. i honestly want nothing to do with this once i'm a nurse, so, where/what floors can i work on as a new grad, in order to avoid this?

i have yet to see this issue addressed. instead, i have seen several responses claiming that this is inherent to the practice of nursing. that is simply not the case. in addition to direct care, nurses work in a variety of different areas, including administration, case management, community education, legal nurse consulting, life care planning, research, forensics, utilization review, chart auditing, quality assurance, education, accrediation, credentialing, writing, pharmaceuticals, telemedicine, ehealth. i am sure there are many other areas (and i grant that many of them do require a direct care background) it is my opinion that we should get back to the stated question, rather than the question of whether the performing of said tasks is inherent to the practice of nursing. i think we all know that it isnt.

@

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i don't disagree that this is an integral part of direct care, no matter the letters after your name, for the precise reasons that have been reiterated (and reiterated, and reiterated....) and i hope youre not implying that it is i upon that high horse....im afraid of heights!!!however, the original inquiry was:

in clinicals we just give baths, clean up poop and puke, and feed patients. i honestly want nothing to do with this once i'm a nurse, so, where/what floors can i work on as a new grad, in order to avoid this?

i have yet to see this issue addressed. instead, i have seen several responses claiming that this is inherent to the practice of nursing. that is simply not the case. in addition to direct care, nurses work in a variety of different areas, including administration, case management, community education, legal nurse consulting, life care planning, research, forensics, utilization review, chart auditing, quality assurance, education, accrediation, credentialing, writing, pharmaceuticals, telemedicine, ehealth. i am sure there are many other areas (and i grant that many of them do require a direct care background) it is my opinion that we should get back to the stated question, rather than the question of whether the performing of said tasks is inherent to the practice of nursing. i think we all know that it isnt.

@

dont you get it???

it does not matter what floor you go on

you will be required to start ivs etc and clean up poop if you have to

you are responsible for the patient total care

if the nurses aide dont feel like cleaning up the poop it becomes your job period

if you dontlike it go work in an office

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Specializes in home health, peds, case management.

deleted.

jls is right.

i will chill out, and return to the issue later.

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Specializes in LTC, Med/Surg, Peds, ICU, Tele.

Pot, meet kettle :rolleyes:

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Specializes in LTC, Med/Surg, Peds, ICU, Tele.
deleted.

jls is right.

i will chill out, and return to the issue later.

[mouse]

i love it when people say i'm right

[/mouse]

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Specializes in B.S. Psychology.
I don't think anyone said or meant that one is less of a nurse just because they don't deal with patients losing their bodily fluids on a day-to-day basis. Rather, the argument being made is that some nurses....and I stress the word some....come across with this "holier than though/I'm above the law/I'm too good for that" attitude. Thus, it is beneath them as nurses if they are ever asked or expected to do the tedious "CNA tasks" because now that they have a bunch of initials after their name, doing anything more than what an RN or LPN does would be wrong and tarnishing to their reputation. Guess what? I'm an LPN who bathes & toilets patients every day in addition to doing assessments(data collections), administering meds, etc. Am I less of a nurse for doing so? No! Am I more of a nurse for dong so? No! Does it make me feel like I'm "doing the CNA work"? No! To me, it's all a part of NURSING!!

As I mentioned in an earlier post, what did nurses do back in the day when they didn't have CNAs? Did they just leave the patients to soak in their own urine or stool, only to realize this leads to skin breakdown on top of other problems? Or did they dive in and care for the patient at one of their most important times of need? Some of us need to get off our high horses and bring our egos back down to reality.

Bring our egos back to reality? Some of you sound very egotistical spouting that nursing is wholistic and that you treat the mind, body and spirit!! Hmm, well then, what are psychologists, physical therapists, chaplains and others for since you seem to 'take care' of it all??? FYI, I am not a nurse, but I think it's sensless to flame someone if they don't have an interest in bodily fluids. As others have stated here, there are many important areas of nursing that do not require daily contact with such things. Hmm, and I also see a lot of posts here LAUGHING about patients bodily fluids or accidents. Would this sound repectful to the patient and family if you did this to their face? :uhoh3: You all need to relax, and people are entitled to differing opinions!

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Specializes in home health, peds, case management.
[mouse]

i love it when people say i'm right

[/mouse]

i might not always be right....

but im never wrong!!!!

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Specializes in Med Surg, Hospice.

Ok, I will admit, I have a problem with poop... BUT that is just me. Some people can't handle vomit or blood. I want to be a nurse so bad that I'm willing to realize that this is not all about me and what I have a problem with. I need to put my ego aside and do what is best for the patient because nursing is not all about me, it's all about the patient. I hope someday, I will be immune to the smell of a GI bleed and C-diff, but for now, the smell still makes me gag. However, I'm not running out the door and telling the nurse I can't handle this, you take care of it. I'm strapping on my gloves and cleaning up right along side of them.

I've also seen some RN's (and notice I said some, not all)find a patient who has had an accident and have spent countless minutes looking for an aide to go clean them up when it could have been done and over with. Fortunately, I'm lucky enough to work with nurses that don't do this. I have nurses that not only tell me this, but they also ask for my help in cleaning them up. I also have great nurses that who aren't afraid to help me bathe the patients who are unable to move, or have trouble moving. Most of the time I hear "I'll help you bathe them and I can assess them at the same time". Makes things a lot easier.

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Specializes in LTC, Med/Surg, Peds, ICU, Tele.
i might not always be right....

but im never wrong!!!!

[banana]you might the left rather than right???[/banana]

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