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.
Specializes in Psych, case-management, geriatrics, peds.
Well, bless you! Sorry, but I do not have time to do custodial work. I would immediately have a CNA come in and clean the pt if I were in a nursing home environment.
Specializes in Psych, case-management, geriatrics, peds.
Not true. There is no comparison to encountering body fluids in psych vs hospital/nursing home work. Once in a while you have to deal with body fluids in psych - rarely BM! In hospital and nursing homes - it is a daily occurrence.
Specializes in Psych, case-management, geriatrics, peds.
I've worked in psyc on and off for years. I never had #2 thrown at me! One reason and just one - there are many others) I stopped working in nursing homes or other direct patient care, is the gross stuff one is required to do. Rarely do I have to do this in a psych setting.
Every time I clean poop, I wish and hope that I do it in a way that treats the pooper with dignity. Every time I think, what if this were me? And it could be me any time any day. I do not get to choose when and how my ticket is punched. I would like it to happen so that nobody ever has to clean my poop, but that is not my choice.
I clean poop with pride and respect. It isn't always easy and I wasn't always so professional. After working in hospice, I have been proud to clean some people's poop and to give them the respect that they deserve.
I have cleaned poop, dug for poop, and changed ( colostomy) bags of poop for years. No pride in cleaning poop. Just get 'er done. Pretty sure the pooper feels the same way.
It has nothing to do with loving to clean up poop. I don't love it but if it needs to get done it needs to get done and anyone who thinks they are getting away from it from working In Psych is wrong,. I worked in psych and trust me they pain the walls with it. I see someone said that is what aids are for, well if anyone who works in the nursing field in hospitals or nursing homes, we all know the aides are busy doing something else and not always available at your beckon call, or they are hiding and no where to be found, or they are simply lazy. You walk in on a patient who had an accident, sitting in poop, is very uncomfortable and embarrassed, you put the call bell on hoping for an aide to come in and take care of it, no one shows up. You decided to walk down the hall to look for someone, another 15 minutes goes by, you find no one. Isn't it much simpler instead of wasting all that time the patient could have been cleaned up, in mean time keep call bell on and still hope that someone will come in and take over for you. You have to think in terms if that was you sitting there, you had no control and you are sitting in **** uncomfortable as hell and embarrassed as hell. I would not want to be sitting there for 30 more minutes while you find someone to clean me up. Sometimes you don't want to do it, but you need to do what you need to do. And it comes with the territory. It is not about liking it , its about doing the right thing. Originally this was posted because the person who posted said this particular nurse wanted to work Psych unit because she didn't want to clean poop. besides working GI post op unit, this is the worse place to work if you don't like to clean poop. Is all I am saying.
You have to also think what if that was my loved one sitting there and you find out they been sitting there for an hour and half and extra half hour because a nurse doesn't like or love cleaning poop. I mean really who the hell does? My daughter hates it and I got her a job on the GI floor as tech with me and I was worried about her not even cleaning the dog poop without gagging. She was ok, she dealt with it, she cleaned ostomy bags out, she had no choice. Ask her if she loves it? Ask her if she even likes it? She just did what she needed to do and that was the right thing.
it may not be worse but they **** like everyone else, and they Like to paint the walls with it and throw it in your face too. Yes I worked on Psych unit and yes that is what they do. Just saying it does happen, **** happens every where.
Your alright in my books, a real Pooper scooper like me. LOL. I mean no disrespect. I like what you wrote. These people that say they don't love or like cleaning poop. I mean really!! Who the hell does, You just do what you got to do.
Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.
Well, bless you! Sorry, but I do not have time to do custodial work. I would immediately have a CNA come in and clean the pt if I were in a nursing home environment.
Please use the quote button. We have no idea to whom all your posts are directed.
rachel100639
66 Posts
Well, bless you! Sorry, but I do not have time to do custodial work. I would immediately have a CNA come in and clean the pt if I were in a nursing home environment.