I'm not "WIPING BUTTS"

[KayceeLeeRN]

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.

[chris2227]

I know those kind of nurses too well...... I've met some who believe with the RN behind their name thay cannot wipe butts.. If your friend is acting that way now she better look at a change of career even before she start.

[scholar]

What do you all feel about this attitude? Be honest...

A RN,BSN said, "I didn't go to school for 4 years to wipe butts. The other RN helps all the techs do am care, wipe butts, etc. I only help when the cna asks me for help. If they don't asks, im not going to spread myself thin. I have other obligations that CNAs cant help me with."

Im only a student nurse and for the most part im willing to do it but my motivation is more out of knowing how to do everything and able to do tasks in a confident, fast pace manner. Once i am a nurse I have no problem still doing it, but I wouldn't like the fact of feeling obligated to do so when there is staff whose primary purpose is to handle these tasks. If I have the wrong attitude let me know.

[jetscreamer101]

You know, I have always lent a helping hand to my CNA's when needed. I don't particularly enjoy providing incontinence care, but someone has to do it.

One day, I was hurrying down the hall to do something, and a gentleman sitting in a wheel chair by his doorway said "I have to go to the bathroom." I said that he'd have to wait for one of the CNA's, I was doing something important (I can't remember what I was on my way to do). A few steps further, I realised just how that must have sounded, how he felt because of my attitude. I turned around and took him to the bathroom.