job duties of lpn

Fiona59 · Jul 29, 2009

Nurses of both grades do these duties without a doubt. Gives you a good chance to assess several areas of the body at the same time.

egglady, LPN · Jul 29, 2009

Good God. The patients or residents are PEOPLE, they enjoy it even less than you would. For as horrible as it is for you, think of how THEY feel.

fmoore723 · Jul 30, 2009

Any job that you delegate to someone else (RN to LPN or LPN to CNA), you should be prepared and expect to have to do it yourself. There are plenty of times that you will have to do 'potty duty'. Working in a LTC facility for instance, you may not have change them every time---but if youre changing a sacral wound bandage and its covered in urine/feces---you better bet youre gonna be cleaning that pt up along with the wound care...

emmerosa · Jul 30, 2009

Thanks for your responses.

Very helpful and honest.

NurseCubanitaRN2b, BSN, RN · Jul 30, 2009

Whatever the CNA can do, a LVN/LPN can do too. Whatever a LVN/LPN can do, the RN can do too. There's no way around it. I've had a RN tell me (when I worked LTC) it's not my job, I looked at her, and I gave her the same spill. "Whatever I can do, you can do too", I reported her to the DON because the patient soiled himself because she had to go look for me to take the patient to the bathroom. What's even sadder is the fact that the family was there. I felt so ashamed because I had to go in there and clean up the patient. Luckily the family members were very understanding, and they reported her too. :)

BigIsleBound · Jul 30, 2009

I came in the LPN corner to ask this very question, only to find someone else was brave enough to post it first. I wanted to know if LPN's had to do a lot of poo duty... only to hear this! So, as an RN, even one with a BSN, you are expected to clean up poop? It's not the CNA's job? I can't understand the point of getting a 4 year degree to wipe butts, when someone who went to a 6 week CNA course can do it. If there is poop in a wound, yes I can understand, but just in a general day to day way, RNs have to clean people's butts?

Bobylon · Jul 30, 2009

I came in the LPN corner to ask this very question, only to find someone else was brave enough to post it first. I wanted to know if LPN's had to do a lot of poo duty... only to hear this! So, as an RN, even one with a BSN, you are expected to clean up poop? It's not the CNA's job? I can't understand the point of getting a 4 year degree to wipe butts, when someone who went to a 6 week CNA course can do it. If there is poop in a wound, yes I can understand, but just in a general day to day way, RNs have to clean people's butts?

Yeah, it's gonna happen. I work 11p-7a shift, 2 RNs, 2 to 3 LPNs (depending on census) on my floor (no CNA/PCT) - we do it all, and it's a team effort - everyone pitches in and does what needs to be done, when it needs be done (as a new LPN, I LOVE the RNs I work with - they're great, wish all LPNs had the same "support." )

kat7ap · Jul 30, 2009

Pretty much anybody in nursing (RNs, LPNs, CNAs) is not immune to "poop duty". CNAs are more likely to do the majority of the grunt work because most their job is for taking care of patients "activities of daily living" or "ADLs". In some cases the nurses are doing total care without CNAs. As a nurse, pt's toileting needs are not a huge part of your work day, but like others said it DOES give you a great opportunity to assess the patient - how well do they ambulate? What condition is their skin in? What does the urine or stool look like? Those are all parts of nursing and caring for your patients. Most of the time it's not THAT bad AND you are helping the patient become more comfortable and feel as dignified as possible. If you can absolutely not stand the thought of bodily functions and fluids, nursing may not be for you.

BigIsleBound · Jul 31, 2009

Pretty much anybody in nursing (RNs, LPNs, CNAs) is not immune to "poop duty". CNAs are more likely to do the majority of the grunt work because most their job is for taking care of patients "activities of daily living" or "ADLs". In some cases the nurses are doing total care without CNAs. As a nurse, pt's toileting needs are not a huge part of your work day, but like others said it DOES give you a great opportunity to assess the patient - how well do they ambulate? What condition is their skin in? What does the urine or stool look like? Those are all parts of nursing and caring for your patients. Most of the time it's not THAT bad AND you are helping the patient become more comfortable and feel as dignified as possible. If you can absolutely not stand the thought of bodily functions and fluids, nursing may not be for you.

In my opinion, feces is a separate issue from ANY other bodily function/fluid/solid. Am I really unique in this regard? I have no problem (though it doesn't thrill me or anything) dealing with sputum, urine or emesis. But feces is a whole nother animal.

fmoore723 · Jul 31, 2009

So, as an RN, even one with a BSN, you are expected to clean up poop? It's not the CNA's job? I can't understand the point of getting a 4 year degree to wipe butts, when someone who went to a 6 week CNA course can do it. If there is poop in a wound, yes I can understand, but just in a general day to day way, RNs have to clean people's butts?

This is not meant to be a disrespectful response by any means, BUT if you maintain a "too good" attititude in regards to the CNAs or even LPNs--you will make enemies on the job fast. Im not saying that you need to go in and do the CNA/LPNs job for them, but if it needs to be done--then someone needs to do it. Alot of times the CNAs may have quite a few patients in this situation at once---are you just going to let your patient sit their in their own excriment because its the "CNAs job"? Its is the job of all of us, whether it be CNA, LPN, or RN (regardless of what kind of degree you have) to take care of the patient as a whole. Ask yourself...how would you feel if you were the patient and you overheard a nurse say that (s)he was over-qualified to clean you up? I dont think there is such a thing as over-qualified, hygiene is a basic nursing skill. Just wanted to make some of you all think...

Felicia

Boog'sCRRN246, RN · Jul 31, 2009

"It's not the CNA's job?"

What if all of your CNAs are busy with other patients and you walk into a patient's room to find them soiled? Are you going to let them lay there in it until a CNA is available so they can do "their" job?