I HATE cleaning poop

JohnHood, BSN · Oct 18

I retired after 31 years of nursing. RNs clean poop or help their CNAs clean poop, especially in a critical care setting. It's a fact of life and falls under patient care. I helped clean patients when I was a Nurse Manager and as a Nursing Supervisor.

JKL33 · Oct 19

I hope there are not a slew of responses suggesting you (OP) feel this is beneath you and that you need to buck up and do nursing work. I think we can be more insightful than that.

I got the idea that the amount of stool incontinence you handle is a little more relentless than it can be in some other areas of nursing. You mentioned breaking into tears at one point related to the constant pooping.

Now, I'm not a crier; I usually wouldn't cry at things that make others feel sad or that tug at the heartstrings so-to-speak. But rarely, I will get teary if something is just overwhelming/frustrating in a stupid sort of way. And I personally could imagine uncontrolled continuous pooping falling into that category. This is a different kind of nursing busy-ness than other kinds. There are lots of ways in nursing to be overwhelmed with one's list of tasks--but even when it's bad, there is at least some ability to cross things off and make a little headway. Not so with continuous pooping. Cleaning it up is a tedious, unpleasant task and the minute you are done with it, it's right back on your list again and your choice is to leave the patient in their own stool for some length of time (which no one wants to do), or....start right back at the beginning of the very same project you *just* completed.

I would hope that any nurse reading this could summon up a little compassion for this situation. It's merely frustrating if it happens now and then, but if it were more than a daily situation on a unit with no ancillary help, I 100% agree that it could become a deal-breaker.

Not to mention juggling that with allllll responsibilities that *must* be done by an RN.

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I work when I'm sick to save my sick hours for days I need or want off that I won't otherwise get because my vacation is denied.

Another legit deal-breaker.

I think you need to put in for some PTO with the hopes it will get approved and you can take a breather and get re-centered. If they deny it, start seriously looking for other opportunities.

Take care~

JKL33 · Oct 19

I can't believe I didn't immediately remember this: When I was a new grad still on orientation in my first job, my patient had a large wound of the inferior abdomen, a leaking colostomy pumping out liquid stool, and also had an infestation requiring gowning up to go in the room. I went in there to do colostomy care and wound care. At first I was feeling so awesome like a real nurse cause I had to put on all these things like an iso gown, etc., etc., I was gonna do real wound care by myself. Well, about 3 hours later I was still in there on about the 3rd or maybe 5th round of the same exact project. I remember I put the call light on after round 1 and my preceptor (whom I respected very much and she was an awesome nurse) came to the door and I said, "I got all done and the stool is leaking and the wound has stool in it again." She smiled so sweetly and was all peppy like, "okay--no problem! Just stay right there and I'll go get you more supplies....". When she closed the door I just stood there staring at the closed door for a few seconds, sweating in all my "real nurse" get-up (cap/gown/gloves/goggles) kinda like, "what." 😵

heron, ASN, RN · Oct 19

I worked on a dedicated AIDS unit where near-continuous stools were not uncommon - but nothing like what OP describes. When it went on too long, we used rectal tubes to direct the flow away from the patient's IV lines, excoriated skin and any wounds that were present. Those patients still needed frequent cleaning, but it was much simplified.

I'm surprised that infection control hasn't been all over this.

OP, we all have "icks" and either find a way to work around them, make them less disruptive to you, or find a different job that doesn't push that particular button.

You don't deserve to be drowned in a flood of uncontrolled diarrhea. Time to kick it upstairs?

subee, MSN, CRNA · Oct 19

JKL33 said:

I can't believe I didn't immediately remember this: When I was a new grad still on orientation in my first job, my patient had a large wound of the inferior abdomen, a leaking colostomy pumping out liquid stool, and also had an infestation requiring gowning up to go in the room. I went in there to do colostomy care and wound care. At first I was feeling so awesome like a real nurse cause I had to put on all these things like an iso gown, etc., etc., I was gonna do real wound care by myself. Well, about 3 hours later I was still in there on about the 3rd or maybe 5th round of the same exact project. I remember I put the call light on after round 1 and my preceptor (whom I respected very much and she was an awesome nurse) came to the door and I said, "I got all done and the stool is leaking and the wound has stool in it again." She smiled so sweetly and was all peppy like, "okay--no problem! Just stay right there and I'll go get you more supplies....". When she closed the door I just stood there staring at the closed door for a few seconds, sweating in all my "real nurse" get-up (cap/gown/gloves/goggles) kinda like, "what." 😵

LOL! When I was brand new, I was sent to de-louse a few fresh arrivals from the ER. Every time I wish the head nurse who assigned me those patients had to deal with poop,

Career Columnist / Author · Oct 19

Hiring a team of nursing assistants to help care for patients, particularly in liver failure units like yours, would significantly help retain burned-out nurses like yourself.

FolksBtrippin, BSN, RN · Oct 21

That sounds terrible. Especially the part about not being able to use your PTO. I feel like there is more than one thing about this job that is making you miserable.

kbrn2002, ADN, RN · Oct 21

When you are so stressed that you break into tears from a Code Brown you need a vacation. Having 200 hrs of PTO built up is so not OK. Are all nurses on your unit in the same position of having PTO declined because of staffing? That's an issue that needs to be addressed.

brandy1017, ASN, RN · Oct 21

You need to leave this hospital for the fact that they won't allow you to use your PTO! This is unacceptable! We deserve and need to take time off for our mental health! Sadly, unlike the rest of the civilized world, American workers are treated like third world citizens denied the basics of vacation, sick pay, healthcare, and paid time family medical leave. I can't even promise you they will pay out your 200 hours of PTO when you leave and that should be criminal, but because there is no federal law requiring vacation etc unlike Europe they can do it and some greedy corporations will pocket all that money and not pay you out even though you weren't allowed to use it! Read your handbook and check with HR, but regardless you need to find another hospital for that alone!

The downside of ICU is many hospitals are cheap and feel if a nurse has only 1-2 or now 3 plus patients as they short staff, they don't deserve a CNA and can do the CNA's work too! They don't want to spend the money! That is the obvious opinion and culture of the hospital you are at so that is another reason you need to leave ASAP.

When you leave I suggest you look for another type of nursing. If you still want to do ICU try CCU or CVICU for example. In the meantime, I'm surprised you guys aren't using rectal tubes with these patients if they have liquid stool. It would help make your job more bearable in the meantime as there would be less to clean up. It can still leak around the tube, but much less mess than without it.

You might also want to consider different nursing options such as working at a surgery center or clinic or homecare. You don't have to stay in the hospital, nor the ICU setting. Avoid another liver unit and ask if they have CNA's, but even if they do you will still probably have to help them with the patients.

Hope you are able to find a better job where you are allowed to take your PTO. Hope they reimburse your PTO, but read the policy if it requires two weeks do that and no callouts as they used that excuse to cheat a manic coworker out of her 200 hours of PTO in our unionized hospital after she worked tons of OT during covid! Many hospitals will use any technicality to deny your PTO payout.

If you are so depressed and burnt out and find they won't pay out your PTO (they have to put that policy in the handbook), then I suggest taking some FMLA for your psych issues to help burn it down first. You can then take time off to refresh and deal with your mental health. Also, you can start the job search while using your PTO. Just make sure to come back and then give your two-week notice or they can retroactively deny your health insurance for the time you were gone on FMLA.

I wish you the best of luck!

AnnieOaklyRN, BSN, RN, EMT-P · Oct 21

I am with you OP, some nursing roles, including clean up duties, passing out a million medications etc are not for me either!! I do vascular access nursing for that reason; no nights (I am unable to adjust to night shifts now that I am in my late 40s), 8 hour holidays and weekends instead of 12s, and best of all NO cleaning patients, no taking them to the bathroom, turning them, dealing with family (unless it has to do with lines) etc and I still make decent money so I only have to work 32 hours a week to survive (I live in a high cost of living area). We also get our full lunch and morning break 99 percent of the time!! No load of patients to worry about, even when you are on break! It's a great gig!! If we are short staffed, PICCs become our priority so if we cannot get to the IV calls, oh well sorry, find a resource to start it for you!

Just as other posters said, there are different areas in nursing you could try to get away from poop clean up duties, so don't give up on nursing just yet. Lots of desk jobs, clinics etc. I am not a fan of nursing to be honest, and this is the only area I have been able to tolerate working in, since my dream of working in the NICU doesn't seem to ever happen (as you said NICU tends to have all night shifts open, which I get it), since there is only one NICU in my area and a few SCN, all the other NICUs are too far away! I would MUCH rather go back to being a medic, but those jobs are few and far between here as well. Anyway, my point is, is that you have already invested a lot of time and money into nursing so figure something else that you could better tolerate, you may find you enjoy it even! Best of luck OP.

-Annie

FiremedicMike, BSN, RN, EMT-P · Oct 21

Come to the ED, high paced, tight knit group, far less poop. Not zero, but less..