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 hope this isn't too off topic but for those of you who choose to do Psych NP, did you consider CRNA as well? What made you choose one over the other?
I'm in an ABSN program and I'm sure it's premature to consider it now but I'm thinking I'm going to end up going for one of those two.
As a CNA, I have always tried to make sure that the nurses don't have to assist with peri care, but there ARE times when things get overwhelming, and it is REALLY NICE to have a nurse who will happily jump in to help with peri care and other dirty deeds. In fact, occasionally helping your CNA with her job will usually make her LOVE you and go the extra mile for you. The opposite is true if the nurse is too fancy to get dirty...
I was much the same way in nursing school. I went to nursing school to become an NP and only to become an NP. I wanted nothing to do with the "trenches." In school I tried to keep quiet and avoid personal care only doing what I had to do to maintain a good grade in clinicals. Now I'm on a very poop-heavy unit with a master's degree and still working as a floor nurse- by choice. And I'm just fine with poop and all aspects of personal care. It don't phase me at all. I appreciate being able to assess my patient and help preserve my patient's dignity however possible. I like providing the type of care I would want my loved ones to have.
So...it's understandable that she may have a fear of this. But don't give up on her yet.
How did you feel about poop and vomit right when you started nursing school? I am 24 years old and I just can't see myself doing that one aspect of nursing.. I believe I can do everything else quite well... staying on top of my pt care plans, it's just the poop cleaning I don't see getting through that well. How did you feel initially with that? what does avoiding personal care mean? lol
How did you feel about poop and vomit right when you started nursing school? I am 24 years old and I just can't see myself doing that one aspect of nursing.. I believe I can do everything else quite well... staying on top of my pt care plans, it's just the poop cleaning I don't see getting through that well. How did you feel initially with that? what does avoiding personal care mean? lol
There is obviously trepidation when starting nursing school. You get over it, you learn to keep a straight face no matter what kind of crappy situation you're in so you preserve the dignity of the patient. (pun intended)
There's always one thing that a nurse just can't do. For me, it's bones. I don't believe I could handle a bone sticking out of someone's body. However, seven months ago my one thing was phlegm. Now I don't even bat an eye, and I can duck like a pro when my trached patient starts to hack.
The more exposure you have, the better you handle it.
I considered CRNA, (even though I am not a psych NP but an adult NP,) the main reason I did not (even though the University of Akron, where I went for my NP is one of the top -and was the top at that time) educational facility for CRNAs was that you were forbidden from working while attending school. I had to work, as I was the sole support of my family, and no one was volunteering to support me and my son while I pursued my education.
Specializes in Med Surg, ICU, Infection, Home Health, and LTC.
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.
Be supportive of her and help her realize that a single mountain is climbed with only single individual steps. Poop cleaning often embarrasses the Pt more then the nurse and is small facet of all we do. There is also the miracle of birth, the courage to die in the face of cancer, the unfair loss of a child to a disease or to abuse. She will come to see our personal concept of who and what nursing is has nothing to do with realty.
She will either run toward it and embrace it with passion, or find it is not hercup of tea and turn elsewhere. Support whichever choice she makes.
Specializes in Addictions, psych, corrections, transfers.
I dealt with more poop on the Psych floor that I care to say, but those patients don't tend to keep it in the pants. I have one patient who decided his poop was better than soap and "washed" with it. Oh, there is much poop in her future. She should try addictions.
I dealt with more poop on the Psych floor that I care to say, but those patients don't tend to keep it in the pants. I have one patient who decided his poop was better than soap and "washed" with it. Oh, there is much poop in her future. She should try addictions.
4+ years in psych. Ditto this. I had clients who liked to write with it, use it like play-doh, throw it at me, etc.
How did you feel about poop and vomit right when you started nursing school? I am 24 years old and I just can't see myself doing that one aspect of nursing.. I believe I can do everything else quite well... staying on top of my pt care plans, it's just the poop cleaning I don't see getting through that well. How did you feel initially with that? what does avoiding personal care mean? lol
Do you plan to have children? Because they poop-often-during the diaper years, and it's not "better" just because it's your own kid. It can be gross, but just like everything else, you usually adapt and deal. And moms these days aren't usually okay with Daddy saying it's not his job.
You seem really focused on something that, while not pleasant, is not that huge of a deal in the big picture. I'm not saying I like it, but I dealt with this on a daily basis for years in the ICU. Now I don't have to deal with it, and I don't miss it, to be honest. But it wouldn't be a deciding factor in any job unless that was all the job entailed.
Do you plan to have children? Because they poop-often-during the diaper years, and it's not "better" just because it's your own kid. It can be gross, but just like everything else, you usually adapt and deal. And moms these days aren't usually okay with Daddy saying it's not his job.
You seem really focused on something that, while not pleasant, is not that huge of a deal in the big picture. I'm not saying I like it, but I dealt with this on a daily basis for years in the ICU. Now I don't have to deal with it, and I don't miss it, to be honest. But it wouldn't be a deciding factor in any job unless that was all the job entailed.
Haha, yeah I want kids, but years down the line... Yeah, I understand where you are coming from. I'm thinking PTA might be a better choice for me, I am already a certified personal trainer and that is basically an advance trainer, as well as PT is even more advanced rehab trainers. I know I might get some of these fluids thatwill have to clean up, but It seems that I would enjoy that career more. Something I feel more geared towards.. Even though you make less money, it's not about the $20k difference ($55k PTA to $75k RN) to me, it's about feeling comfortable in life and my job. I think there are things that you can't avoid in health care, but I think PTA deals with that less... a lot less, often.
If she doesn't want to clean poop she probably shouldn't become a nurse. She will clean a lot of poop in nursing school. She will play in poop testing it for blood and sending specimens. She will probably get poop on her shoes and uniform. Some psych patient smear poop on their walls. She will give enemas and preps and have to clean poop off the floor. She will change colostomy bags and put in rectal tubes. Don't tell her all this though..maybe she won't mind so much . There is the satisfaction of a healthy patient.
Spurse32
45 Posts
I hope this isn't too off topic but for those of you who choose to do Psych NP, did you consider CRNA as well? What made you choose one over the other?
I'm in an ABSN program and I'm sure it's premature to consider it now but I'm thinking I'm going to end up going for one of those two.