Okay, nursing veterans...help out this newbie nursing student. I've talked with a number of nurses and NPs and, in the course of conversation, an alarming number of them have told me I will encounter more poo in my clinicals and first year of nursing than I ever imagined was biologically possible. Are they right? I fear they are.
Go ahead, warn me. Terrify me. Tell the stories you definitely can't tell at dinner parties. Make sure I know exactly what I'm dealing with. Any and all stories of grossness are welcome--if I'm gonna do this, I really, REALLY need to know.
you will see rivers of liquid poo, patients who play with poo, patients who throw poo! I encountered a most interesting patient . . .
I'm sure that you know that rabbits create little pea-sized poo . . . I've always wondered how they do that? Do they have a rectal poo mold? . . . anyway . . my story . . . I had an old codger, in his early 90's . . . don't remember any specifics about his hospitalization except . . . when I turned him, I found a little pile of "poo balls" . . . about a dozen . . . 1 inch in diameter, fairly firm . . . I wrapped them up in the chux and wiped his bottom . . . when I went to throw away the chux, it opened up a little and some poo balls rolled onto the floor . . . no biggee, I stooped to pick them up and accidentally stepped on a couple!!!!!
Aaarrgghhh!!! "expletive-deleted" x 20!!! I wanted to throw out those shoes!!!
Last day as a CNA on a Med/Surg floor prior to transferring to an ICU as a critical care tech. 3-12 hour days.
Day 1: Pt w/ Paranoid Schiz, GI bleed, CDIFF (read: Isolation), Colonoscopy prep.
Day 2: Find out the patient refused the procedure this morning, MD reorders Prep. Another day of go-litely in a patient with Paranoid Schiz. GI bleed, and Cdiff.
Day 3: For the love of all things chocolate, why... (think: 11 hours, 45 minutes left of this shift) MD unsatisfied with the results of the prep, another set reordered, and no, they didn't check the labs before doing the prep for a third day in a row.
Ever have to take care of 12 patients as a CNA while helping one patient 26-32 times onto the commode, convincing her that your not some pervert MALE trying to catch a peek while putting your ISO gown on and watching this horrible mixture of xxx,xx,xxxx run down her leg and onto the floor, trying to catch her before she falls......
Man, Those were the longest 3 12 hour shifts of my life..........
On my very first day working as a new nurse on a medical unit, I had a pt with a rectal tube. These are kind of old-fashioned, it's the only one I've ever seen in my 12 or so years of nursing. Anyway, my preceptor instructed me to remove it, with each of us standing on opposite sides of the bed. I removed the rectal tube, not realizing how long and floppy it was, and flung liquid poo all over my preceptor. She, being the veteran she was, took it very well. All she wanted to know was, "Is it in my hair?" It was not, and I lived to nurse another day. I was pretty sure for a minute that my career was over before it had begun.
If you ever have to remove a rectal tube, do it slowly, and gather it in your hand as you go!
Specializes in CNA, Psych tech, ED tech, Basic EMT.
Yup.... and just wait until you encounter the wonderful aroma of C. diff.
oh, gawd, I remember my first experience... 300 lb quadripeligic who could barely move himself. Couldn't get the scent out of my nostrils for hours. Even with some Vicks vapor rub over my lip! YEECH!!!!
On my very first day working as a new nurse on a medical unit, I had a pt with a rectal tube. These are kind of old-fashioned, it's the only one I've ever seen in my 12 or so years of nursing. Anyway, my preceptor instructed me to remove it, with each of us standing on opposite sides of the bed. I removed the rectal tube, not realizing how long and floppy it was, and flung liquid poo all over my preceptor. She, being the veteran she was, took it very well. All she wanted to know was, "Is it in my hair?" It was not, and I lived to nurse another day. I was pretty sure for a minute that my career was over before it had begun.
If you ever have to remove a rectal tube, do it slowly, and gather it in your hand as you go!
I've had a confused but helpful patient hand me his rectal tube, inflated cuff and all! Ouch!!
Specializes in Medical /Neuro, Oncology, LTC, Home Care.
Ugh, Go-Lytely + Big lady + Active GI bleed + measly ER curtain = Really stinky ER.
Just wait until you need to roll a 300+ pound person on a stretcher to clean them up. FUN times!!
Oh, and funniest poo story was from a LOL with pneumonia and diarrhea... we had her turned and was cleaning her up, every time she coughed, more poo shot out at me. Learn to dodge.
LOL im just picturing all this.. pretty funny! while in the $hit situation sure is $hitty. but reading and hearing stories is too funny..
Yes I've seen patients play with their poo, throw their poo....and eat their poo. Barf, barf, barf. The one was licking her fingers.....gross!
My last day as a CNA before I started LPN school I was changing someone who had liquid coming out of their butt. When I went to change her pad, liquid poo came flying out, hit me squarely on the leg, and drip all the way into my socks and shoes...yuck! Thankfully I had a change of clothes in my car.
ironically not too funny at the time!
Bandaide, ASN
119 Posts
A pair of these: http://www.jeffersequine.com/ssc/product.asp?CID=1&pf_id=11565 and a plasticized chemo gown could defiinitely be in order.