Long story short, my sister has decided that she wants to become a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner. She has a master's in psych, and believes this will be an easy thing to achieve, but she just simply doesn't want to clean poop.
I do assist with peri care, sometimes with a tech, and sometimes because the tech is with another patient. It's not the biggest part of my job and it is not the worst part of my job. It gives me a chance to assess skin issues, to change any bandages that may be on the coccyx, and to let the patient know that I'm there no matter what reason they need me.
I tried to explain this to her, and she just doesn't 'get it'. I get this idea that becoming an NP is practically the same as a MD to her, and that worries me. She'll learn, I suppose. I just hope that she will understand that assisting a patient at a time when they can't even go to the bathroom by themselves is not a bad thing. It's not horrible to help someone. It's what we do.
I'm just bothered by it. Thoughts...comments? Ways to make her understand? all appreciated.
I don't know where you haveworked, but EVERY RN at least deals with poop in training. And office nuses stil l havei incontinent patients, and having worked in post partum, I guarantee there is poop. It is a normally part of living. In caring for patients of any type, there will be the chance of exposure to.various body fluids and excretions. Welcome to nursing.
Specializes in Med-surg, telemetry, critical care..
I am not sure that I would even want this person in my room, even as a student. I am not sure what drives nurses in to the psychiatric specialty. All the psych nursed I have ever spoken with had some serious issues
I have met "nurses" graduating" from 4 year programs who step "I didn't go to school for 4 years to clean bedpans."
Guess what, kiddies, bedpans are the very basics of nursing care. Get over yourselves. I wish all of you had nuns following you around like I and my fellow students did, way back when. Compassion is the first lesson. Don't go to nursing school if you don't have it, because you won't make it. AND nobody will want you in their room anyway. Don't think it doesn't show. It's written all over your face before you even open your mouth.
I am not sure that I would even want this person in my room, even as a student. I am not sure what drives nurses in to the psychiatric specialty. All the psych nursed I have ever spoken with had some serious issues
I have met "nurses" graduating" from 4 year programs who step "I didn't go to school for 4 years to clean bedpans."
Guess what, kiddies, bedpans are the very basics of nursing care. Get over yourselves. I wish all of you had nuns following you around like I and my fellow students did, way back when. Compassion is the first lesson. Don't go to nursing school if you don't have it, because you won't make it. AND nobody will want you in their room anyway. Don't think it doesn't show. It's written all over your face before you even open your mouth.
It sounds like you might have some serious issues with psych nurses. If you had a mentally ill loved one wouldn't you want he or she taken care of by a caring and competent psych RN? Mental illness is real and psych nursing is real nursing.
I started off in nursing with an LVN although I never worked as one; I only did the LVN program so I could immediately bridge to my ADN program. I completed my BSN online via UoP and I'm starting my FNP masters program next month. When I'm done with that I'll be going on for my doctorate. I will definitely have to deal with bodily fluids as an FNP but I can assure you I will not have completed that many years of nursing education to sling bedpans. Caring and compassion I have in spades but I will not deal with bedpans and urinals any longer. MA's are well trained to deal with tasks such as that.
This isn't exactly true. A psychiatrist is a physician who went to medical school and specialized in psychiatry while a doctor of psychology is a psychologist with a PhD who diagnosis and treats patients within their field. This definitely sounds more up her alley if she isn't into the hands on nursing care that is inevitable regardless of the speciality. I have 2 doctor of psychology friends and one currently in the program at West Virgina University. Have her look into it a little more!
Clearly, a midwives is a different role..... Truthfully most nps never clean poop. ( other than off their finger when the do an occult blood screen :). I can't imagine a situation when a psych np would ever clean poop.
I am not sure that I would even want this person in my room, even as a student. I am not sure what drives nurses in to the psychiatric specialty. All the psych nursed I have ever spoken with had some serious issues
I have met "nurses" graduating" from 4 year programs who step "I didn't go to school for 4 years to clean bedpans."
Guess what, kiddies, bedpans are the very basics of nursing care. Get over yourselves. I wish all of you had nuns following you around like I and my fellow students did, way back when. Compassion is the first lesson. Don't go to nursing school if you don't have it, because you won't make it. AND nobody will want you in their room anyway. Don't think it doesn't show. It's written all over your face before you even open your mouth.
One of my best friends in nursing school right now wants to go into psych and she is one of the most hard working, compassionate people in my cohort. What an uneducated generalization. Shame on you.
I find it amusing that she is going into psych to avoid cleaning poop. In med/surg/icu at least poop (and most other bodily fluids) is mostly found in one predictable place. If she has kids or wants them, she'd better get used to being on the poop/snot/tears patrol or hire a nanny, that is unless she wants to (gasp) have a piece of already been chewed gum handed to her. Does she clean her own toilets? I say leave her alone & don't bring it up again. For anyone, even non nurses, if cleaning poop & other bodily fluids is the worst thing in life, I'd happily trade places with them.
I think she's basically right. In school she will probably have to do it a few times. If they are still hiring new grads when she finishes, which I see postings for now, then are they just going to make her get poopy as some kind of initiation?
I was an NP for 8 years in acute care. While I didn't clean poop regularly, I would offer to help. I also got the job of disimpacting every patient who needed it. Every single patient. I'm in a unit based administrative role now, and the unit nurses are free to ask me for help to clean poop, and it's absolutely part of my job.
I was an NP for 8 years in acute care. While I didn't clean poop regularly, I would offer to help. I also got the job of disimpacting every patient who needed it. Every single patient. I'm in a unit based administrative role now, and the unit nurses are free to ask me for help to clean poop, and it's absolutely part of my job.
sarose611
62 Posts
I don't know where you haveworked, but EVERY RN at least deals with poop in training. And office nuses stil l havei incontinent patients, and having worked in post partum, I guarantee there is poop. It is a normally part of living. In caring for patients of any type, there will be the chance of exposure to.various body fluids and excretions. Welcome to nursing.