Do you have to deal with these?

z's playa · Apr 18, 2005

This thread got me to thinking.....
Some of the most poignant moments of my career have occurred while I was doing something gross.
I remember a dying CA pt whom had vomited in her bathroom sink. I helped her get cleaned up, medicated her, and helped her back to bed.
Then, I went back to deal with the sink. It had a drain screen, and had got plugged up. I was pulling chunks of vomit out of the drain w/ my gloved hand when the pt approached me to talk. She started crying from embarrassment. I kept cleaning w/ a smile on my face, and laughed with her to let her know she did not have to be self conscious around me. She began to relax, and said "I want to ask you something I've been afraid to ask anyone. I'm dying, aren't I?"
This opened up a dialog between us, in which she was able to express her fears and get some information about her condition. I cared for her several more times in the next few weeks. She came to me with other concerns and issues during these times, and I was able to work w/ the pt, her doctors and social work to address her needs. This lady was able to accept that she was dying, and was at peace when the time came.
Things might have ended differently if I had gotten all grossed out and run off to find someone else to deal with the mess.
I will always remember the conversation that arose from cleaning vomit out of a sink.
To me, this is nursing.

Well you certainly defined the old "You know you were meant to be nurse when".......AND you know you're meant to be a nurse when a story like that moves you to tears of admiration and not tears of disgust. :)

Thank you :)

Z

head injury unit RN · Apr 18, 2005

thank you pam and others!
i live with my parents because my school is a fifteen minute drive from my house and i do feel a lot of pressure from them. i think i would disappoint them a LOT if i dont figure out my career until im like in my thirties i told my parents that ive set my mind on nursing but they probably have no idea what nurses really do..how they have to "get down and get dirty" they do think that nursing is a hard laboring job though...the sad thing is when i told my parents that im interested in becoming a pharmacist or an optometrist my dad said do whatever i want to do but my mom thinks im nuts bcuz from what she told me she doesnt think i would study hard enough to make it..she thinks im going to cry and whine that im sick of studying and will want to quit..my dad didnt say that but i dont think he trusts that i will study hard to make it :stone i dont think im up for the challenge though..when i try i get good grades but i dont try often haha. ok i dont think this is a laughing matter. i really dont know what to do anymore. i thought i was set on studying nursing but now maybe im not cut out for it. what is cna btw? i just started working at a busy clothing store and i study full time so i dont have time to go visit a hospital to shadow or work. ive tried those skill/personality assessment tests online to see if those would help me decide on a career but i wasn't interested in any of them. any career advices for me? from what ive read and from what other nurses have advised me, i find nurses very informed in what goes on in this crazzzyyy world and know a lot of things that i for sure dont know about. what do your daughters and sons do for a living? :chuckle

HI I AM THE DAUGHTER OF A NURSE WE ARE BOTH RN'S-- LIKE MANY HAVE SAID NURSING IS A HARD CAREER BUT VERY REWARDING. I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO BE A NURSE SINCE 7TH GRADE. I WENT TO COLLEGE RIGHT AFTER HIGHSCHOOL WAS A RN AT 21 YRS OLD. I'M NOW 25-- I AM A CHARGE NURSE IN A 17 BED HEAD INJURY UNIT, I LOVE MY JOB AND MY PATIENTS EVEN THOUGH SOME DAYS ARE TERRIBLE THERE. I CLEAN UP AND TAKE CARE OF EVERYTHING YOU CAN POSSIBLY THINK OF. MY MOM ENCOURAGED ME THRU OUT MY DAD SAID I WASN'T "COLLEGE MATERIAL" BOTH MOTIVATED ME----MY MOM TO MAKE HER PROUD MY DAD TO PROVE HIM WRONG. YOU SOUND VERY YOUNG YET ---GO TO COLLEGE FOR A DEGREE TOWARDS "GENERAL STUDIES"--- TAKE BASIC CLASSES THAT COULD BE USED FOR MANY DEGREES UNTIL YOU FIND WHAT YOU LIKE. WHAT CLASSES DID YOU LIKE/EXCEL AT IN HIGHSCHOOL???? SCIENCE BUSINESS TYPING MATH??? FROM YOUR COMMENTS IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU WANT TO WEAR "SCRUBS" AND HAVE THE GUYS/DOCS THINK YOUR CUTE. THE PAPERWORK U TALKED ABOUT IN ONE COMMENT WOULD BE A SECRETARY JOB. WHY NOT GO BE A "MEDICAL SECRETARY/UNIT CLERK" YOU CAN WEAR SCRUBS SEE DOCS AND NOT HAVE TO CLEAN UP THE "YUCKY" STUFF. IT SOUNDS LIKE A BETTER CHOICE THEN NURSING FOR YOU. :)

Hellllllo Nurse, BSN, RN · Apr 18, 2005

Well you certainly defined the old "You know you were meant to be nurse when".......AND you know you're meant to be a nurse when a story like that moves you to tears of admiration and not tears of disgust. :)
Thank you :)
Z

And thank you, z's playa. :)

nursestudentx · Apr 18, 2005

did you start off nursing thinking you will be able to squash all the nasty things that you would have to deal with or were you "squeemish"
Yeah I don't know what you mean by squash! When you say nasty things...just what are you talking about? Bugs? Zits?
Or do you mean to refer to the act of suppressing thoughts of disgust? I'm sorry but when I think of squash I think of Gr. 4 . I just no longer use the word unless I'm squashing bugs. Or grapes in Sicily. :chuckle
And please don't roll your eyes at me.
This thread has gotten ridiculous. I feel we've answered the OP's question. :)
Z

hmm. i wonder if nursing makes some people bitter :rolleyes: or maybe youre so old now that a word like that seems too elementary for you :rotfl:

it seems like all i have to do is go through nursing school and then i will be able to work at the setting that i choose! i know of clinics where it is very sanitary, but i doubt that the salary will be as high as nurses who work in the ED or the OB. im sure ill be able to find my niche after nursing school and all this is just me rambling because starting a new career scares everyone! :chuckle especially if it's your first one :coollook: im still young so i have time to figure things out. for now im still going to pursue my nursing education. i love people contact and if i have to deal with some unsanitary situations during my rotations or whatnot ill hold my nose and get through it because ive talked to nurses before and they all loved their jobs! and who knows maybe ill get used to all the "gross" part of nursing or if i find myself having a real hard time with it then ill just be a nurse at a department where there is a lower "grossness" haha. or maybe i wont work in a hospital setting at all. but again maybe ill be over it quickly and be able to deal with it. now i can focus on my studies and hopefully i wont be so caught up with what life brings that ill be able to pursue a masters as well. i cant wait! :)

im hoping that ill be a lucky nurse and deal with the least amound of bodily fluids while working and still make a great living. and never be jobless. HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA.

caroladybelle, BSN, RN · Apr 18, 2005

Umm....pharmacists are not doctors.

Actually guys.... Most places are requiring a PharmD degree to take Boards and become a licensed Pharmacist. That is a 7 year (?) degree and does entitle the pharmacist to be listed as Dr. So and So, as well as write some orders.

While in the past, one may have only needed a Bachelor's (5 year program), or a Masters Degree, and I believe that previous pharmacists with licenses have been "grandfathered" in,the group that governs pharmacists have been phasing in the PharmD requirement.

I only know this because I am friends with a rather chavinistic one that insists on the Dr and Mrs. (insert masculine first name) XXXXXX on all their addresses.

I keep wanting to ask when his wife changed her first name to (insert masculine first name), just because I find it annoying.

nursestudentx · Apr 18, 2005

Excellent post.
I am personally getting tired of all these "I-want-to-look-cool-wearing-scrubs-and-I-want-people-to-respect-me-as-a-nurse-and-I want-to-make-the-big-bucks-during-this-awesome-shortage-but-I-don't-really-want-to-actually-have-to-do-nursing" type of attitudes we've been seeing.

hmmmmmm. do YOU think you look cool wearing a scrub? :rotfl: everyone knows that nurses need more respect for what they do and for some reason they're not getting it. i have no clue why when nurses make up the most of the hospital popular excluding pts. there is a shortage so it's a great time to become a nurse, but there is a reason why lots of people dont want to get into nursing and the answer if workload and stress. we all know this. even people who are just students know this. so what the heck are you talking about.

head injury unit RN · Apr 18, 2005

you dont know what i meant by squash?
is there a way to become a NP without going through bsn clinicals? :rotfl:
im going to have to think some more
thank you for all these WONDERFUL comments :chuckle now i can eat out with my friends for dinner :)

THE MORE COMMENTS I READ FROM YOU THE MORE STUPID YOU SEEM. AT FIRST I THOUGHT YOU WERE JUST YOUNG AND LOOKING FOR DIRECTION IN YOUR LIFE. BUT REALLY.....YOU ARE A SPOILED ROTTON CHILD OUT SPENDING MOMMY AND DADDYS MONEY NOT EVEN PAYING FOR YOUR CAR INSURANCE OR CELL PHONE. KEEP ON WHINING :crying2: YOU SHOULD BE AN ACTRESS. WITH ALL THE TIME YOU HAVE SPENT ON THIS SITE AND EATING OUT WITH YOUR GIRLS YOU COULD HAVE SHADOWED A NURSE IF YOU WERE EVEN REMOTELY CURIOUS ABOUT THIS PROFESSION.

nursestudentx · Apr 18, 2005

Helllo Nurse --- THANK YOU for saying what I've been seeing....
Its all about me, my career, my job security, WHAT you want me touch a patient?????
I've seen so much of it from the students from the local university. The accelerated 2nd degree bunch are usually the worst. "I have a degree, taking care of the patient is an LPN's job, I'm going to be a care manager" actually said to me by a student.....

what is an accelerated 2nd degree? dont LPNs and RNs all do the same jobs? i dont think that nurse will go far with that kind of attitude. i look forward to learning from experienced nurses, though i wish i can have the least amound of bodily fluid contact as possible :)

nursestudentx · Apr 18, 2005

THE MORE COMMENTS I READ FROM YOU THE MORE STUPID YOU SEEM. AT FIRST I THOUGHT YOU WERE JUST YOUNG AND LOOKING FOR DIRECTION IN YOUR LIFE. BUT REALLY.....YOU ARE A SPOILED ROTTON CHILD OUT SPENDING MOMMY AND DADDYS MONEY NOT EVEN PAYING FOR YOUR CAR INSURANCE OR CELL PHONE. KEEP ON WHINING YOU SHOULD BE AN ACTRESS. WITH ALL THE TIME YOU HAVE SPENT ON THIS SITE AND EATING OUT WITH YOUR GIRLS YOU COULD HAVE SHADOWED A NURSE IF YOU WERE EVEN REMOTELY CURIOUS ABOUT THIS PROFESSION.

i thought i can get some direction too but all i received was "get out of nursing" and told me the worst stories ever so ill reconsider my choice. it did make me reflect and i made up my mind. im going to be a nurse! :)

nursestudentx · Apr 18, 2005

and like ive said before. i post when i should be sleeping. this forum gave me lots of great information! :coollook:

i do meet lots of girls around my age and adults who are going into nursing/telling me to go into nursing and have no idea what nurses have to put up with and now i do so i can tell them tp get ready to face them when in nursing school!

but i really think it will get better after school. bonding with other nurses and receiving/giving support to each other would be great too. i dont think there ever will be a boring momment unless i work in a small clinic somewhere :balloons:

head injury unit RN · Apr 18, 2005

hmm. i wonder if nursing makes some people bitter or maybe youre so old now that a word like that seems too elementary for you :rotfl:
it seems like all i have to do is go through nursing school and then i will be able to work at the setting that i choose! i know of clinics where it is very sanitary, but i doubt that the salary will be as high as nurses who work in the ED or the OB. im sure ill be able to find my niche after nursing school and all this is just me rambling because starting a new career scares everyone! :chuckle especially if it's your first one im still young so i have time to figure things out. for now im still going to pursue my nursing education. i love people contact and if i have to deal with some unsanitary situations during my rotations or whatnot ill hold my nose and get through it because ive talked to nurses before and they all loved their jobs! and who knows maybe ill get used to all the "gross" part of nursing or if i find myself having a real hard time with it then ill just be a nurse at a department where there is a lower "grossness" haha. or maybe i wont work in a hospital setting at all. but again maybe ill be over it quickly and be able to deal with it. now i can focus on my studies and hopefully i wont be so caught up with what life brings that ill be able to pursue a masters as well. i cant wait! :)
im hoping that ill be a lucky nurse and deal with the least amound of bodily fluids while working and still make a great living. and never be jobless. HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA.

LOOK OUT CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS THIS IS WHAT WILL CARE FOR YOU IN YOUR TIME OF NEED.----IF SHE EVER MAKES IT!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA :rotfl:

caroladybelle, BSN, RN · Apr 18, 2005

Could I please remind people to debate ideas and provide opinions/information and not insult other posters?

TOS please.