my first poop/ nasty experience... just wanna share

[9livesRN]

Ok...

I was assign a client c/ esophageal cancer, liver disfunctions, obese, pej tube, acute/chronical renal failure and so on...

Well... i got in the room early am, and OMG that room stunk so bad, but no like poop, or that "disease" smell, it was a nasty, sweaty, dry lack of hygiene smell...

so i washed my hands, put my gloves on... and took my vitals, then came back to gime him a partial bad bath and told him to wash his genitals, well... as soon as the pct started it, what a stench

so i just kept on handing him new wash cloths, and they were coming back full of loose dead skin, and that smell was terrible!!!!

I almost vomited!

.... well we got over that part, made the bed, changed him, and everything was better... none had given him a bath in the longest!!! and he had poop under the nails:barf02:!!!

after everything set up, a colleague came and asked me for help doing peri care on a man, since it was her first time, so i went over there and washed my hands, got my gloves on....

the room was so warm it was like 90 in there, no kidding! then we got him ready, all supplies and it all, then i went to lift his testicles that were stuck on the midle (close to his knees) of his legs, and i was talking to him and my frind... when i lifted it, surprise i just noticed that cloud of smell right up my nose... and my hands were full of poop since he had poop on the back of his testicles...

well, i turned around real quick, since i dod not want to make a face!!!! took a deep breath, told my friend change of plans, let me go get supplies!!!!

the smell was nasty, real nasty, and warm!!!!

so i got back on the room with everything, and we cleaned him, changed the bed, and rotated him... OMG there was so much poop!!! yuck!

we were able to keep it down c/ a straight face... but it was chalenging!

we got it all done, and we had to put ointment on him since he was getting sore, and stage 1 pressure wounds, we finished it up, and even gave him a back rub!!!

it was a great experience since it was the first time for both of us, and we did such a fine job... and i did not through up...!!!!

blah, vicks on my pocket for next time!

[ladymedik]

Okay, I said I was scared of the poop. Ladymedik, I am a grown woman of 36 years and I can deal with the poop. I do not know anyone that enjoys poop, I will handle it and I will be an awesome RN. I know you are just being realistic, but please know that I won't let poop get in the way of my passion:kiss

I totally appreciate your attitude. Perhaps I did come off a little strong( no pun intended). I just recall a few people in one of my classes actually astonished that nurses have to deal with poop!!! I was also dealing with someone else on this site questioning my education. You have my humble apologies if I sounded nasty. I think that with your frame of mind, you will be a great nurse.

[RochesterRN-BSN, BSN, RN]

Funny story for ya...think you will appreciate....... one of my peers in nursing school had a fun experience with poop! lol We were in our first clinical at a long term care facility and she had a patient with diarrhea....she had a pan of water and wash clothes cleaning him up and with the diarrhea the water was getting pretty gross pretty fast so she bent over to pick up the very soiled bin of water with lots of poop in it to go and get a clean bin of water and keep going.....and well she had made the mistake of putting her keys in the pocket of her scrub tob, the chest pocket! and yeah you might know what I'm gonna say.....the keys fell out and into the poopy water!!! Mind you these were her keys, personal keys--house, car, etc-- she pulled them out with a gloved hand and carried them to the sink and put them on a paper towel-- I think she did tryto rinse them quick--finished up with the patient and then came out with the keys in paper towels with her gloved hands looking like she was gonna either puke or cry, and sort of laughing too...to the instrutor and says....ummmm I have a little problem........how do I clean these!!?!?! My instructor and she went into the dirty utility room and I could here the giggling from the hall! lol She never lived that one down!!! Well that is until she passed out in a patients room and the little old man (the Pt) is leaning over the bed (bedbound) saying "oh honey, are you okay down there???" she awoke to hear him saying this! she was fine--was over heated and had not eaten...........but between the fainting in a patients room and the keys we teased her all year!! lol

[Muttlover]

Good job! My first poop was very unpleasant. It was in an LTC during CNA orientation, not a hospital. My patient was nonverbal. I just kept thinking how she must feel. As stated above by others, the patients certainly would rather not have such personal hygiene done by someone else. I try to put myself in their place, and treat them like I would want to be treated.

Here's a tip that someone passed on to me, and it does work. I do love the Vicks, but sometimes it wears off. Keep some menthol cough drops in your pocket. When you gather your supplies and have washed your hands, pop one before you start to change the patient. It helps!

Good luck to you and good job!