Embarassing question to all experienced nurses.

Jay-Jay, RN · Mar 15, 2001

Hey, it's part of nursing! Luckily, I don't have a hard time with poop or pee, I've cleaned up after too many pets. Vomit is another story, however, though the closest I've come to losing my lunch has been with really grossly infected wounds.

A story from my student days...One afternoon, I heard my preceptor called for help over on the other side of the ward. I ran over, to find everyone staring at this patient who was crawling down the hall on hands and knees. He had a bad intestinal bug, and had been in isolation, in restraints (posey). Somehow, he had wiggled out of the restraints AND his gown, torn out his I.V., and crawled out into the hallway. Not only was he stark naked, he was completely COVERED in excrement! My preceptor yelled for me to grab a gown. I did so, and tossed it over the patient, who immediately ripped it off, and continued on down the hall.

My preceptor hollered again at me, "No, not the patient, silly, get ME a gown, to cover my uniform, and get one for yourself!!

We both covered our uniforms, and we tried to get the patient back into the room. He did not want to go, and kept breaking away from us. Worst of all, we got the giggles, and couldn't stop laughing!! If this had happened on the night shift it would have been okay, but it was daytime, and there were visitors watching, one of whom reported us for being insensitive. Heck, the patient didn't mind! He was so confused, he hadn't a clue what was going on. As a matter of fact, I remember him grinning as he was crawling down the hall. It was only when we tried to spoil his escape that he got annoyed with us.

Eventually, with four nurses helping, we got him back into the room and shoved him into the shower. I got the job of showering him, and again, he was not co-operative, and kept trying to leave the shower before the job was done. By the time he was cleaned up and back in bed, my uniform was a write-off. I had to go to Emerge and borrow a scrub dress to wear for the rest of my shift.

I had one student in my clinical in first year who began to gag the first time we had to change and adult diaper with a code brown in it. She got used to it eventually, and did really well in the course. So, don't despair, it's something we all have to deal with!

Best of luck to you!

Stargazer · Mar 15, 2001

adellis, I had a hard time with teeth too! Mouth care (especially when other nurses aren't being too conscientous about it) can be icky. Brushing someone's crusty old stained smelly dentures seriously makes me gag. I have to look away and kind of do it by feel.

buck227 · Mar 16, 2001

For the benefit of you BSN people

First you get some wash cloths and towels together along with some clean linens and a skin care kit if you have one. Explain to the patient what you are going to do and provide for privacy. Clean the front first and then call for lifting help if the patient can't turn self. Roll the patient on his/her side and place a towel over the soiled area. Clean front to back with warm soapy water. Dry and apply some powder. Inspect the area for skin breakdown. Follow your institutions policy for skin breakdown if you find the skin is compromised. place clean linens under patient.

The first time is always a little uncomfortable. It is very important that you leave the patient on clean dry linens. It is also important that you remain professional. You have to remember, no one messes themselves on purpose, the patient is more uncomfortable than you are and what you are doing is going to make them feel better.

Don't forget to wear gloves and wash your hands.

Originally posted by micknmel:
Ok.......don't laugh but I do have a question. I am starting nursing school in April. This has been a life long dream of mine. My question is how do you deal with patients when they have accidents. ( ya know bowel movements). I know.....Geeeez. I am thinking to myself how am I going to deal with this. I can handle blood and pretty much everything but this I am not sure....Did anybody else feel this way. Just thinking of it....makes me.....well you know....

2ndCareerRN · Mar 16, 2001

For the benefit of you BSN people

Thanks for the info buck. Reading that opening reminded me of a saying I know...If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem. And the way you prefaced your reply shows that you are probably part of the problem. I often wonder who the elitists really are! If you have a problem with the ability of the BSN's you work with I would suggest that it may be in part because of your attitude towards the BSN prepared nurse, which I would bet shows in your everday working relationships. I mention only the nurses you work with because I just know you did not mean to make such a generalized condemnation of every BSN in the world....or did you?

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Haji

We live in an age that if you order a pizza delivered to your house and call 911 at the same time to report a life or death situation....my money is on the pizza arriving first! Learn to protect yourself, become a wolf among the sheep!

Hinsmc · Mar 17, 2001

I am entering nursing school this fall and the one thing that is really making me worried is cleaning poop. I guess it goes with the territory. After all I had to go through with all the prerequisites I've taken I can't let something like that stop me, but it's on my mind.

Trauma Columnist · Mar 17, 2001

Oh, please don't revisit the BSN vs ADN post again - I'm bored. An RN is an RN - good ones, bad ones, etc.. LET IT REST, Please.