I HATE this!!!!

AnnieOaklyRN, BSN, RN, EMT-P · May 2, 2007

Umm noo. You will stil have to do all of those things when your an RN. Honestly you may want to reconcider nursing schoool and nursing as a career especially if you are uncomfortable touching people. As an RN you will have to touch people in order to do some of the above as well as assessments. You will also need to administer medications and some of them will be rectal or lady partsl.

Sweetooth

chadash · May 2, 2007

Don't give up! Nursing assistant classes are notoriously boring, but the information is just essential, so you bear up under it!

I love being a NA, but there is nothing enjoyable about fecal impactions, shampoos and baths, diapers and just good ol' hard work.

You just have to turn your head around the other way for a minute. It is not the tasks themselves, it is the person who benefits from the action. If you focus on the comfort and well fair of the the patient, you will hardly notice the smells and the yuck. Just imagine what it would be like to be impacted, with dirty hair and a soiled diaper, unable to even shift your weight enough to prevent a sore, and you will find that protecting that persons health will be your job, not the stuff that is necessary to achieve that. Does that make sense?

Next thing you know, you will be on a crusade to improve patient care!

kstec, LPN · May 2, 2007

That is all part of nursing. You may not have to do it all the time, but will have to do it. I remember the first time I "dug out" someone, I walked up to the DON and asked her what the heck did I go into nursing for. YUCK, YUCK, AND MORE YUCK. But then as chadash stated what if the tables were turned and you were the one that needed assistance, you would want someone to help you. The smell and ickiness doesn't last forever. Also I don't think any nurses enjoy most of the icky jobs and if they say they do, they're fibbing (sp), but it is part of the job. As for chadash, I wish I worked with more CNA's that have your mentality. You sound like an excellent aid, who is in this strange career we call nursing for all the right reasons.

lovingtheunloved, ASN, RN · May 2, 2007

Maybe you should rethink your career path. Some people just aren't cut out for nursing, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Shoot, I was an elementary ed major my freshman year of college, and boy howdy, I am NOT cut out to be a teacher! It's better to get out now than go through years of school, spending all that money and totally hating your job. God made us all love different things so that everything gets done. I wish you the best!

RNfaster · May 4, 2007

I retched even at the smell of urine at first. I now can deal with urine, poop, vomit, etc. I used peppermint oil smeared under my nose --and sometimes a mask. --Nothing wrong with being careful, especially if working with someone with C-Diff, etc. Now, I don't use the peppermint oil --don't really need it. I focus on getting the pt cleaned up and feeling better.

I thought at first that I'd never get used to it. But I did. You will, too.

I wear gloves as a matter of routine. You should protect yourself and the patient. --You could pick up a (dangerous) staph infection if you have a small cut or two (which I usually do) on your hands.

Anne36, LPN · May 4, 2007

HI! I am going to be taking a cna class this summer. Why would Bella teacher get ticked off if she wanted to wear a mask? Isnt that a good idea? Is it ok for a cna to wear a mask when dealing with bodily fluid? or is it not allowed? I wouldnt want to get hit in the face with that by accident.

Treasure30 · May 4, 2007

I am so upset and don't know exactly what to do. I am four weeks into my CNA I class (required to start RN school, which I am scheduled for in August). Clinicals start in 2 more weeks and I am skeeved out! I don't like touching people and am absolutely disgusted at the idea of wahing people's hair, giving massages w/o gloves (who is doing this for me???), bathing them, and especially cleaning up thier poop (my teacher got mad at me for asking if I cold wear a mask while doing this). When I found out about removing fecal impactions, well that sent me over the edge. Class is also very boring! I just don't know if this is for me. Will it get better when I am an RN, or is this all it is? I am sorry and mean no disrespect to those of you who love it, but I just dread going to class every day. What is going on with me?

Sweetie, Get out now, :nono: . What guided you to the nursing field? I'm sure there's something out there your heart will love. My dad told me this as a kid, find something you really enjoy doing, that way all the exernal things will not interfere. I can honestly say, I still enjoy nursing & still can come to work with a smile,

pagandeva2000, LPN · May 4, 2007

It is not required or advised to wear a mask unless there is a suspicion of splashing, like with blood itself...but the mask is not needed in order to wash a patient, change diapers or dressings. I do think that you should make yourself experience this through your CNA clinical before you drop the gun. This will ultimately make you decide if nursing is for you. As an RN or LPN, there will be VERY intimate things you may have to perform for patients. You may be able to build a tolerance to the things that you fear and you may also develop enough empathy for the patient to be able to perform these tasks gladly rather than with tepidation.

chadash · May 4, 2007

I retched even at the smell of urine at first. I now can deal with urine, poop, vomit, etc. I used peppermint oil smeared under my nose --and sometimes a mask. --Nothing wrong with being careful, especially if working with someone with C-Diff, etc. Now, I don't use the peppermint oil --don't really need it. I focus on getting the pt cleaned up and feeling better.
I thought at first that I'd never get used to it. But I did. You will, too.
I wear gloves as a matter of routine. You should protect yourself and the patient. --You could pick up a (dangerous) staph infection if you have a small cut or two (which I usually do) on your hands.

You get to the point where you smell urine like a fine wine: fruity with a hint of pecan, heady aroma....

nursewannabee · May 4, 2007

Hi Bella,

If you really want to be a nurse I would advise you to stick with it. There are nursing jobs where you don't have to do bedside care. I am in nursing school now and was very nervous about giving someone a bath and cleaning them up. It wasn't that I did not want to do it -I was just very uncomfortable. I kept imagining how embarassed these poor people were by having to have someone else do these very personal tasks for them. Today I work in a hospital as an LNA and love my patients. Stick with it. You may even find you will grow to enjoy helping these poor unfortunate souls.

Believe me when I tell you this; when you start school- giving someone a bedbath and cleaning up their urine and poo will be the least of your concerns. Nursing school will challenge you on a personal level and you will do things you never thought you would be able to do.

In school they only start you off with one patient.That is only one bath you have to give. The rest will be learning how to assess, do documentation and other skills. So please stick with it if you want to be a nurse and get ready for the ride of your life.

Best of luck with your decision

summersent · May 4, 2007

Umm noo. You will stil have to do all of those things when your an RN. Honestly you may want to reconcider nursing schoool and nursing as a career especially if you are uncomfortable touching people. As an RN you will have to touch people in order to do some of the above as well as assessments. You will also need to administer medications and some of them will be rectal or lady partsl.
Sweetooth

I'm also a nursing student(ADN program) and I know it depends on personal experience but how often do you think a nurse has to administer medications that could be in the rectal or lady partsl area?