job duties of lpn

fmoore723 · Aug 4, 2009

BigIsleBound:

I honestly dont think that you are a terrible person for hating poop so much. I think there are many nurses that do. No one walks into work dailing saying--"Oh boy, do I wish to clean up a big pile of poo today!!" Far from it....BUT we have the caring and compassion for our patients to realize that holistic care sadly involves cleaning up poop at times--for the physical and psychological wellbeing of that patient. I think the place you struck a cord with MANY around here was your statement not only said that you hated poo and thats why you didnt want to do it BUT that you were too good, too educated, etc to do it.

I want to help people... I am a very intelligent person with the grades and standardized test scores to back it up.

And just a side note on this statement---There is WAY more to nursing than being able to "make the grade". You could be the most book smart person in the world, but be thrown on the floor and crash QUICKLY! Most of the best nurses that Ive ever worked with were not straight A students. It takes critical thinking, caring, compassion, and a flat out love for what you do to succeed as a nurse...not just standardized scores....

With that said, good luck with all you do...

MSPrincess · Aug 5, 2009

I am totally shocked by this thread. I am a new nurse so maybe I do not know all of the rules of the game yet, but....if you truly want to help people, shouldn't you want to help them all of the time and not when it is convenient or something that you want to do? You cannot help people unless you have their best interests at heart. Nursing is about compassion and not about likes and dislikes.

Poop is a fact of life...I have a 2 year old who is potty training and he didn't quite make it earlier today and deciced to "paint" his bed with poo. Not pleasant to clean up but it must be done. So poo can rear its ugly head in the least expected place...like your home!

With that said, I sincerely hope that you are not the nurse taking care of one of my family members any time in the future.

Home Health Columnist / Guide · Aug 5, 2009

i've been providing incontinence care since 1974 when started as nursing assistant on night shift in a nursing home, 77 lpn and well after 82 bsn. thank you mrs laws rn and sylvia na for teaching me that excellent skin care in incontinent patient will prevent bedsore /decubitus formation -- and once formed takes 10x as long to get decubitus to heal compared to length of time provide care.

other yucky things we lpn's and rn's get to do is provide wound care to the unfortunate victim of drive-by gun shot wound (gsw) to the head with white matter oozing out; care for the female with advanced breast cancer with fulmigating tumor that is now open into armpit and worst rotten egg smell that no deodorizer can kill; person with peripheral vascular disease and necrotizing infection of leg --ever smell gas gangrene? patient with a tube in every orifice needing care due to pseudomonas sepsis infection: tracheostomy, nasogastric tube, triple lumen cvp, picc line, foley catheter, colostomy, nephrostomy tube and rectal tube.

after caring for these patients, peri and incontinence care is easy to do. we need nurses who can provide care holistically to a patient to meet their needs, just not our own. that's why we say nursing is not cut out for everyone, remind myself how lucky i am not to need such intervention ---yet; and need to prepare next generation for realities of our career ...through an world domination.

:)

licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses

lpns care for patients in many ways. often, they provide basic bedside care. many lpns measure and record patients’ vital signs such as height, weight, temperature, blood pressure, pulse, and respiration. they also prepare and give injections and enemas, monitor catheters, dress wounds, and give alcohol rubs and massages. to help keep patients comfortable, they assist with bathing, dressing, and personal hygiene, moving in bed, standing, and walking. they might also feed patients who need help eating. experienced lpns may supervise nursing assistants and aides.
as part of their work, lpns collect samples for testing, perform routine laboratory tests, and record food and fluid intake and output. they clean and monitor medical equipment. sometimes, they help physicians and registered nurses perform tests and procedures. some lpns help to deliver, care for, and feed infants.
lpns also monitor their patients and report adverse reactions to medications or treatments. lpns gather information from patients, including their health history and how they are currently feeling. they may use this information to complete insurance forms, pre-authorizations, and referrals, and they share information with registered nurses and doctors to help determine the best course of care for a patient.
lpns often teach family members how to care for a relative or teach patients about good health habits.
most lpns are generalists and work in all areas of health care. however, some work in a specialized setting, such as a nursing home, a doctor’s office, or in home health care. lpns in nursing care facilities help to evaluate residents’ needs, develop care plans, and supervise the care provided by nursing aides. in doctors’ offices and clinics, they may be responsible for making appointments, keeping records, and performing other clerical duties. lpns who work in home health care may prepare meals and teach family members simple nursing tasks.
in some states, lpns are permitted to administer prescribed medicines, start intravenous fluids, and provide care to ventilator-dependent patients.

BigIsleBound · Aug 5, 2009

You asked for a job description and you got one. None of we nurses savor the idea of handling feces. There are times when CNA's and nurses gag; it's one of the unpleasant tasks healthcare professionals do.
Why don't you consider social work? A social worker helps patients, with no direct patient care.

I have no interest in social work because I'd like enough money to have more than cat food and dust bunnies on my pantry shelves. Besides, walking into strange folks homes to snatch thier kids away as an unarmed female just doesn't sound like a jolly time. Seriously, thanks for the suggestion. It's not for me, that's all.

I understand that nursing involves many yucky and unpleasant aspects, and that making the patient (who is sick, scared, in pain etc) feel comfortable, safe, hopeful and cared for is the most important thing. I am just not cut out for it.

Yes, I know poop happens when you have kids, as I have two myself. But the idea of even being NEAR someone else's poop makes me start to sweat, feel woozy, and have stomach machinations that precede the technicolor yawn. I am not cut out to be a nurse. I could deal with any other bodily fluid/solid, but poop makes me want to jump out of a window. Since it is so horrible for ME to deal with it, I'd have to be in dire straits to do it, and spending 4 years and a king's ransom to do it doesn't make sense for ME.

Much love to all of you nurses who grimly soldier on in the presence of the chocolate dragon, my hat's off to you. It just couldn't be me.

eldragon · Aug 5, 2009

I have no interest in social work because I'd like enough money to have more than cat food and dust bunnies on my pantry shelves. Besides, walking into strange folks homes to snatch thier kids away as an unarmed female just doesn't sound like a jolly time. Seriously, thanks for the suggestion. It's not for me, that's all.

Social work takes many forms. The social worker in a hospital or nursing home helps the patient secure financing for care and to find housing if needed. They help them with pretty much anything they need - from buying new glasses to just needing a shoulder to cry on. You have to be a real people person.

You sound self-centered to me. And immature. Your sarcasm is borderline inappropriate as well. If you speak in person the way you present yourself on a public forum, you are bound to encounter many problems in whichever career you choose.

Home Health Columnist / Guide · Aug 5, 2009

Since OP has had responses re LPN job duties and decided nursing not for her, closing thread.