I'm not "WIPING BUTTS"

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I know there have been numerous threads about this already, but this is more for a "vent" then a discussion/debate. I have a friend who is currently a medical assistant. She wants to go to nursing school, to make more money. I have no problem with anyone wanting to make a better living. I suggested to her the other day that she consider working in a hospital to gain some experience and see what the "real world" of nursing is about. She replied that she would love to but she "doesn't want to wipe butts for a fulltime job." I told her she better not go to nursing school :rotfl:

She claims that she will deal with the "butt wiping" for school, but not as a fulltime job! I mean WHAT DO YOU THINK NURSES DO!?!?!??!?! Prance around in cute uniforms and hand out meds?????? This is NOT the glamorous life!!! It is dirty, filthy, smelly, sometimes just plan disgusting, but it is HUMANITY. She seems to think that once she is a nurse she doesn't have to assist patients with ADL's because thats "not her job." I can't tell you how many bedpans and "butts I have wiped" in the past week. No, its not my priority, but am I going to walk away from a patient when they ask for a bedpan when it only takes 2 seconds??? NO! I'm SORRY but I don't think we need people in nursing with this mentality of being "above that." If you can't see passed the BUTT WIPING and see it for what really is...which is giving a human being their DIGNITY and RESPECT than you DO NOT BELONG HERE!!!!!!!

I guess I should just let it go and let her be ignorant. I doubt she'll make it passed the first semester with that attitude anyway.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

I totally agree with you-this isn't worth the effort. Let her find out for herself.

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Specializes in Geriatrics, MS, ICU.

I work with a few nurses who also feel this way. It amazes me that they feel that it is okay for them to delegate this task to others. One of them even will ask another RN to do it. It is unfortunate but true.

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Specializes in Cardiology, Oncology, Hospice,IV Therapy.

I worked with somebody who would spend 15 minutes looking for a PCA to do an accucheck for her because she was "too busy" to do it herself.

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There are some types of Nursing that don't require much hands-on.

Offices, clinics, schools, teaching, research, NP, Psychiatry, Surgery (blood, yes, butts, generally not). If she can get through school, she can do one of these.

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Hear this everyday from the younger nurses. Just smile and remember, every dog has it's day.

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Specializes in critical care transport.

Does anybody like wiping butts? No.

So is it okay for a patient to lie there in it while workers debate wether or not it is thier job? It's not like pt's love being incontinent and being unable to reach the bathroom on their own.

I have a feeling she does not have the "grit" to make through anyway. The patient needs something, for crying out loud, do it. Nursing school isn't where you are groomed to be a big-busted floozy handing out pills in a white mini skirt saying, "yes, doctor" all the time.

Good grief.

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Hear this everyday from the younger nurses. Just smile and remember, every dog has it's day.

I am a 22 year old RN, that is unfortunate to hear. They're giving ME a bad name!

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Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.

I do have a problem with people thinking they are too good to do a certain job, being butt-wiping, snot-wiping, or whatever. My grandma says "If you think you're too good to do something, you're not good enough to do ANYTHING."

What I have seen, however is this. Let's say Nurse A really doesn't like cleaning up stool but doesn't mind doing trach care. Nurse B hates trach care but cleaning up poop doesn't bother her. A lot of times I have seen Nurse A say, "Nurse B, would you be kind enough to clean my patient up while I do your patient's trach care?" They help each other out and patients get taken care of. A lot depends on personalities and other stuff, I realize.

I remember while I was pregnant I couldn't stand to guiac stool, something about the smell. So someone else did that for me while I did something for them.

But the "too posh to _____ [insert verb here]" really gets to me.

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Specializes in cardiac med-surg.

i wipe at least one bum per shift

i take pride in what i do, every little thing

do it right, job well done

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Okay. I'm a lab assistant, and I have helped patients toilet, washed backs, dressed, undressed, set up meal trays, and wiped up urine. NONE of those things are in my "job description", but the pt needed these things done, and I was the one there, so...

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a fellow student once told me that wiping bums was embarsing for her, so she liked community nursing or ER(in the uk we have a 4hr treat, admit or street or the hospital gets a massage fine.

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