Is clinic nursing a dirty job?

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Hello. I was curious as to whether clinic nursing is a dirty job. I have no issues with blood, but I'm wondering if any of you clinic nurses have to deal with other unpleasant things. I still believe nurses are amazing given all the responsibilities they have. Thank you for all you advice!

Ahhhhhh, to be that trusting again! OP, that nurse told you what hospitals SHOULD care about, not what reality is. Senior nurses get fired every day because of their salaries. There are entire hospital floors where the most senior RN haS 2 years of experience and the 1-year nurses are precepting the new grads.

OP, I mean this in the nicest possible way: you have expressed some very naive opinions as fact regarding the current state of nursing in this country. In many of these statements (as illustrated above), you really could not be further from the truth. I think you should do some more (MUCH more) research both here and in the press before making any further career plans. Please save yourself heartache by being very certain of exactly where you should be focusing your time and energy in nursing.

Ok, thank you for correcting me. :) In terms of senior nurses getting fired because of their salaries, you mean to say hospitals can't afford to pay them their regular wages?

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Who you know.

Oh yeah, lol. I forgot about that. That's one of the issues concerning the bad politics of nursing that a nurse told me about. So, that's really all that matters?

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.
Ok, thank you for correcting me. :) In terms of senior nurses getting fired because of their salaries, you mean to say hospitals can't afford to pay them their regular wages?

Noooo, I wouldn't exactly say 'can't'. Won't is more like it. Hospitals are all about the money (yes, even the supposedly "not for profits"). Why pay $45/hr for an experienced RN when you can pay 2 new grads $20/hr apiece and even save $5/hr? Hospitals need to keep their dollars to pay their upper echelon huge salaries and even bigger bonuses, and to build soaring galleria-type lobbies with artwork, and to sponsor athletic teams and to advertise their superiority over the other hospital system in town. Hospitals are businesses, really big, profitable businesses.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.

OP, here's an enlightening post to read that will convey some sense of the nursing field today.

https://allnurses.com/general-nursing-discussion/an-open-letter-1009953.html

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Noooo, I wouldn't exactly say 'can't'. Won't is more like it. Hospitals are all about the money (yes, even the supposedly "not for profits"). Why pay $45/hr for an experienced RN when you can pay 2 new grads $20/hr apiece and even save $5/hr? Hospitals need to keep their dollars to pay their upper echelon huge salaries and even bigger bonuses, and to build soaring galleria-type lobbies with artwork, and to sponsor athletic teams and to advertise their superiority over the other hospital system in town. Hospitals are businesses, really big, profitable businesses.

I know. It's unfortunate. CEOs can never be satisfied with the money they already have. *sigh*

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OP, here's an enlightening post to read that will convey some sense of the nursing field today.

https://allnurses.com/general-nursing-discussion/an-open-letter-1009953.html

Thank you. I'll check it out

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Given what you all know now, would all of you still be nurses though? Why or why not?

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I would.

I don't know how to do anything else.

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Also, if you work as a nurse, isn't overtime sometimes necesssary? It's not always a choice, right?

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I'm also in the process of trying to find a nurse to job shadow in the Los Angeles area. Hopefully I'll be able to find something! I called the volunteer phone number of a hospital. I was transferred to HR and the woman didn't help me. She just transferred me to the original voice message. Wouldn't HR know what to do? :unsure:

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I work in a walk in clinic. We see oozing stinky abscesses in all body parts. Step throat stinch, lice, scabies, women with impacted tampoons, oh and std filled lady partss and memberes. People who haven't showered in days. Impacted ears we have to flush. Vomiting patients who are in the lobby vomiting on the floor. Children with foreign bodies stuffed were ever they can find room. Clinic work is dirty, I walk in my home after work and place my scrubs in seperate hamper with lid and take a shower before I sit down. Oh and I forgot having people coughing on you and filling the droplets on your face.

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Are you working in a spa environment? Do you have direct contact with clients? If you don't mind touching body parts, can work under pressure, have attention for detail, and can be a good team-player (GOOD team-player), then you might do very well. I know 4 (!) estheticians who could've been excellent Nurses (if life was honey and nuts). They have people coming with diabetic feet, skin conditions, mental issues, birth defects.. everyone wants to feel beautiful. So if this sounds like realities of your current work, then Nursing would not be incredibly different.

:)) most important thing is to have a positive attitude, and respect for the profession, people and self. I now this sounds cliche, but it's true. Lots of miserable nurses out there making their colleagues and clients equally miserable.

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