Don't Want To Touch Patients!

icuRNmaggie, BSN, RN · Mar 27, 2015

Speech therapy is another avenue you could consider if you would like to be in a helping profession. It offers job security, a higher salary than nursing and the option to work in many settings such as schools, hospitals, home health and rehab facilities. A Master's degree is required.

Momma1RN, MSN, RN, APRN · Mar 27, 2015

Social work sounds like it may be a good fit for you. Good luck!

TexMex22 · Mar 27, 2015

I mean, there's an unlimited supply of gloves, hand sanitizer everywhere, and you can wash your hands a million times a day without so much as a side glance from someone!
Good luck to you!

Uh, yeh, kinda. I didn't feel this way after "one of those days" during clinicals. Gloves and hand sanitizer didn't help that much...

I was assigned one of those patients that the floor nurses are thrilled to unload on a student. You know, a test, to see if the student will buck up or run off the unit crying.

I don't remember any other details except a bed-bound patient & cleaning up BM's, washing the patient & repeating over and over x 8 hours. Sometimes BM leaked out before we even got the patient turned back over.

It was a real test of my will to stick with nursing. Truly a case of _ _ _ _ happens.

I still remember it. Why? You'd think I'd want to forget it forever right?

Because I remember the other students pitching in to help. I remember the patient groaning with embarrassment, nearly in tears, saying "I'm sorry" over and over.

I'd found compassion and strength in myself that I didn't know was there.

I'd survived my baptism by fire, my make it or break it test from the floor nurses, and was yet another step closer to being a "real nurse."

Ruby Vee, BSN · Mar 27, 2015

You want to be a nurse and "nurture" but you want to do it without touching people? Please think about a different career choice.

TheGooch · Mar 27, 2015

Thanks for the replies guys. Maybe I'll rethink my choice of profession...

I like your user name-Thinbabe, Cute!

wannabecnl · Mar 27, 2015

I am happy that you have this insight about yourself! I left an anesthesia tech job years and years ago because I found that my germophobia was about to keep me from doing my job safely for the patient. Nothing ever happened (and I didn't get sick), but it was clear to me that I was in the wrong place. I switched to working IT for a medical company and LOVED IT. I made a difference to thousands of patients I never met, by training their nurses and doctors to use a great information system.

Fast forward 10-15 years. I now have kids. Kids are little germ vectors; they bring God knows what into the house all the time, and I just got used to being diligent about washing my hands, teaching them to sneeze into their elbows, etc. And you know what? I'm not a germaphobe anymore. I'm an RN, going on 3 years, and I just take the time to do excellent hand hygiene, clean my stethoscope with alcohol, etc.

I'm not saying go out and have kids and you'll be miraculously cured. I'm encouraging you to find something to do in healthcare that will let you contribute--this could be IT, social work, finance, marketing, whatever. Clifford Stoll says what you are good at is what you do (which in your case may not be getting goo all over yourself); what you love is where you do it.

iPink, BSN, RN · Mar 27, 2015

I'm not an extreme germaphobe to the point I can't function as a nurse, but I became slightly germaphobic during nursing school. I also work with self professed germaphobes. We wipe down everything, including the computer before we use it. Double gloving is popular and wearing masks if needed. We all do our jobs well without any issues or nightmares following. Good luck.

Sent via iPink's phone using allnurses

NurseSpeedy, ADN, LPN, RN · Mar 27, 2015

Going through nursing school, you will have to touch people a lot and many times it's going to be messy. I have had many bodily fluids end up on my scrubs unexpectedly and have had to borrow scrubs from the OR to finish my shift. I had a patient literally miss the commode and pee all over the bottom of my pant leg and shoe during transfer. It happens and you cannot look shocked or disgusted in front of the patient. There are non-contact jobs but they usually require 1-3 years minimum acute care experience and can be competitive to get compared to direct care positions.

SweetPotatoes · Mar 27, 2015

I am a pre nursing student too (starting school this Fall 2015) and a slight germaphobe. I also have a crazy sense of smell due to migraines (which are under control without medications now...but the heightened sense of smell remains! weird).

However, I love people enough to push past myself to give them the care they need. And with time, I don't think it will even be an issue anymore if I'm truly in this for the right reasons. Which I am. If you're asking this question now I'd definitely think about it and I would talk to some nurses or nursing students, maybe volunteer in a hospital or nursing home to see if you'd be able to handle it.

caroladybelle, BSN, RN · Mar 27, 2015

Speech therapy is another avenue you could consider if you would like to be in a helping profession. It offers job security, a higher salary than nursing and the option to work in many settings such as schools, hospitals, home health and rehab facilities. A Master's degree is required.

Involves evaluating swallow function, talking trachs. Plenty of secretions, drool and germs possible.

NurseGirl525, ASN, RN · Mar 27, 2015

I think you may be in the wrong profession. You do need to touch patients. It's kind of the main part of the job. Assessing, passing meds, treatments, pretty much all involve touching the person. You administer eye drops, put creams on ointments on people, take vital signs. You really need to be in touch with keeping the germs from continuing to harm the patient and other people. Sounds like you need a paperwork job.

Ruas61, BSN, RN · Mar 28, 2015

It's spring break!