exactly what does RN consist of....

bobnurse · Dec 31, 2004

Well a RN has such a wide array of job functions, its limitless what you can and cant do. Depending on where you work, what department, or type of facility dictates what you do. A part of nursing, any type of nursing is dealing with bedpans and so forth (clinical aspect). If you dont like that, you can work in labs, admin, specialty areas that dont deal much with incontinent issues, and so forth. Nursing is the backbone of the medical field, and they pick up the slack when cutbacks are made and so forth......For example.....a hospital gets rid of the phlebotomist, the nurses draw all the blood. They get rid of the ekg techs (12 lead) the nurse does them, or nurse techs in many areas.........

So everyone will have a different veiw with what a RN or any nursing type position will do. So you can be a nurse and never touch a bedpan (except for clinicals), or do it on a frequent basis, the choice is yours.

Nurses are independantly contracting now, opening their own businesses, consulting, and etc.........But there is a growing need in long term care, where in geriatric care, you do deal a lot with bed pans and so forth.....But whats the deal, someone changed you at one time, why not return the favor....Its a cycle.....You will once day need the same care for you.............

Just my opinion...A post in regards to what a RN does.....It can be anything, and new options are available every day.......

CHAZZY BABY! · Dec 31, 2004

how often do you deal with excrements?

talaxandra · Dec 31, 2004

I work in Australia, where we don't have CRNAs. While Div 2 nurses often perform more of the manual nursing tasks, there are very few employed where I work - in an acute hospital.

I actually enjoy being able to perform total patient care -particularly on nights, I do all the nursing care for my patients. And while this includes giving bed pans and washing patients, this is a really small part of what my work involves, even if the ward is in the grip of a gastro outbreak!

As to how often I deal with excrement, it depends on what's wrong with my patients. Tonight I'm looking after three full care patients - one is palliative and hasn't had any intake (enteral or parenteral) for over a week, so there's no output at this stage. The other two have had strokes and are incontinent, so I change their pads every two to six hours depending on whether they've voided/opened their bowels. I also have a young guy who's had a stroke, and I've just popped him back to bed after a trip to the loo, where I stood behind him for balance while he voided.

Some nights are just full of caca - demented patients who finger paint all over the bed rails, for example, or smile to reveal fecally-smeared teeth (we really need a vomiting smilie BTW!), but there are way worse things than poo.

bobnurse · Dec 31, 2004

how often do you deal with excrements?

If your referring to me........I rarely deal with bodily fluids. Im director of education as well as a member of the infusion/PICC team.......But........and I say but..........I have did my fair share of incontinent care, had no problem with it, and still occasionally work the floor to keep up the skills and repor with nurses........

I am the type that will do it myself, instead of hunting down a tech........Just me.....

thanks

johnnrachel · Jan 1, 2005

I am not a registered nurse yet, however we have many, many, students who are worried about the "dirty" work of nursing. My opinion is that if you are worried about "changing bed pans" and "cleaning patients" you should not be in nursing. Nursing is total care and if you are truly advocating for your patient the so called "dirty" work will not bother you. I do not even give it a second thought how much "dirty" work is included within my title. If it is the best care for my patient I will do it and with a smile. :)

renerian, BSN, RN · Jan 1, 2005

UH I have seen and cleaned many behinds..........I would say yes you will most likely be doing some of that...................How far are you into nursing school?

renerian

UM Review RN, ASN, RN · Jan 1, 2005

Can someone tell me what a registered nurse exactly does. I've been talking to some people and they get the impression that i will be changing bed pans, cleaning patients. I thought that is what a nurse aide does. Isnt it passing meds, and monitoring the patient?????

The staff RN's duties are inclusive of the LPN and the CNA duties, but the RN goes beyond theirs. All of those are expected to be able to keep the patient clean, whatever the particular mess might consist of.

RNs and LPNs are licensed. CNAs are certified. LPNs and CNAs work under the supervision of the RN, so the RN is basically a manager whose care of the patients coordinates with (but is not completely directed by) the physician.

ONLY the RN may do an initial patient assessment or mix IV medications in my state. RNs may initiate care plans, LPNs may not.

Those are only a couple of the differences in licensure and tasks for the floor RN.

For the complete, official job duty description, take a look at your state BON website.

http://www.ncsbn.org/regulation/boardsofnursing_boards_of_nursing_board.asp

bobnurse · Jan 1, 2005

I am not a registered nurse yet, however we have many, many, students who are worried about the "dirty" work of nursing. My opinion is that if you are worried about "changing bed pans" and "cleaning patients" you should not be in nursing. Nursing is total care and if you are truly advocating for your patient the so called "dirty" work will not bother you. I do not even give it a second thought how much "dirty" work is included within my title. If it is the best care for my patient I will do it and with a smile. :)

I dont completely agree with this statement........You can do many things and nursing and never touch a bedpan....Does that make you a bad nurse? Should someone not become a nurse just because they refuse to change attends?

The nursing has become such a wide open market. You can become an RN and never see a patient in your career outside of nursing school, and be sucessful at it.

When nurses were once primarily providing bedside care, i would agree with your statement, but in todays society.......Just my opinion

Malt123 · Jan 2, 2005

No matter what area you go into after you become an RN you will always be held responsible for the whole patient. i don't know of any RN programs that don't make you empty bed pans or bath Patients during the training period. Since the general public knows this patients often don't understand why they have to wait to be cleaned up or be taken to the bathroom. Many many years ago CNA's and aids were brought in to the nursing profession to help the RN. This freed up the nurse to do the more advanced tasks. All staff are expected to answer call lights and assist as needed. In some facilities it has gotten so bad that the CNA's are deliberately ignoring lights and putting the nurse on the spot. I usually try to proritize everything I do. If I have something more pressing to do and a CNA can do what the patient needs I will hunt down a CNA, this is all based on time, if the patient needs a bed pan I will put her on it and try to let the CNA know. In LTC the RN is not usually doing total Pt. care, but she is still resposible for all the patients.

NicInNC, CNA · Feb 3, 2005

I have to ask this:

How do you handle the smells? I have THE worst time dealing with odors. I start dry heaving. Please tell me that it gets better. I woud be mortified if I started dry heaving whild cleaning up a patient. Can yo imagine how that would embarrass them? This is my main worry about starting my CNA classes. I have worked in a nursing home before and there were only a few times that I dry heaved. I would just go out of the room, breathe and then go back in. But I wasn't cleaning poop....that was just urine.

txspadequeenRN, BSN, RN · Feb 3, 2005

At all times you must protect the dignity of the patient; and my thought is not only you would be mortified, so would your patient. I have been known to put just a little of toothpaste or vicks under my nose (a small unseen amount) when Im dealing with the rank stuff :puke: But I also breath through the mouth not the nose ,seems to help. If your are in clinical nursing you will be up to your arm pits in body fluids the rest or your career. You will get used to it and before long you will be able to eat lunch and discuss so-n-so's X-LG BM.:rotfl:

I have to ask this:
How do you handle the smells? I have THE worst time dealing with odors. I start dry heaving. Please tell me that it gets better. I woud be mortified if I started dry heaving whild cleaning up a patient. Can yo imagine how that would embarrass them? This is my main worry about starting my CNA classes. I have worked in a nursing home before and there were only a few times that I dry heaved. I would just go out of the room, breathe and then go back in. But I wasn't cleaning poop....that was just urine.