So as I was dozing in the rocking chair with my 13 month old who was lazily nursing/sleeping I recalled a conversation I had with a teacher at the school I was at for my Public Health Clinical back in early December. The school nurse wanted me to talk to her because I was still relatively fresh out of school and into the industry and already back to complete my BSN.
Well, this teacher was a lady who looked to be in her late 50's early 60's, and she wanted to know about her daughter in law who wanted to go back to school to be an RN. This daughter in law had a BS in something already, I think marketing or something like that. So she was asking me about what I did on a typical night, and what nursing school entailed. I was explaining that her DIL would be wise to start CNA training so she was ready after she completed the prereq's she would need. She wanted to know what good training to be a CNA would do. I explained that it's basic nursing skills- vitals, personal cares etc. The school nurse I was with piped up "you know...butt wiping". I laughed and said "yeah that's true, you do do some of that".
That's when I lost all respect for this teacher. She got this sour look on her face, and said "oh, but she won't have to do any of that will she? I mean that's what the aides are for, she's going to be more busy doing other things, right? She won't have to wipe people...the aides do that."
To which the school nurse and I looked at each other... school nurse smiled and said something to the effect of having to wipe more butts than she could count when she worked in ICU. I basically said "yea well, sometimes...especially at night the PCA is doing something else, like wrestling/hog tying a raving dementia patient who is trying to gouge another nurse's eye out." What I was really thinking is "gee, no way, we nurses don't sink to that level, just like you teachers don't sink to the level of teaching these kids to spell...they have auto-correct, to do that for them...right?"
OY! If DIL is anything like MIL and she decides to go to school, I'm keeping an eye on this forum for a post that might sound something like "so my mom in law told me i don't have 2 wipe butts when im a real nurse because the aides get to do that im doing importaint things lolz!!"
What I was really thinking is "gee, no way, we nurses don't sink to that level, just like you teachers don't sink to the level of teaching these kids to spell...they have auto-correct, to do that for them...right?"
I love the way you think. I'd buy you a beer if you actually use that line the next time you have a conversation with this person!
Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.
That reminds me of the time I had a brand new grad working on my floor. I showed her the med cart and started telling her about the med pass. She looked at me and said with derision "I didn't spend 4 years in nursing school to hand out pills". I asked her what she thought she'd be doing on her first day of her first job. She said (no kidding), "I thought I'd be in charge". I had to walk away. I thought the charge nurse would bust a blood vessel she was laughing so hard.
I get what you are saying, but agree with hiddencat.
Many people's initial reaction to "nurses wipe butts" would be yuck or gross. I wouldn't make to many assumptions from her reaction. Her DIL will be exposed to the blood, poop, and guts of medicine and find out for herself it she can handle it.
OTOH should "people's initial reaction" have the apostrophe? I try, but really hate some of our English grammar rules and spelling! Apostrophes indicating possession seem to be such big stumbling blocks!
Pretty harsh comments directed at somebody who is probably ignorant about what we do. I assume many of us are ignorant about what other professionals do in their day to day work. I've even experienced ignorance among different health care providers. Nurses making assumptions about respiratory and radiology and visa versa. Some of the things we do are shocking to the general public.
Funny, because last night I was about to start cleaning a patient, and this LPN walks in and goes, "Honey I'm about to change her dressing, so I'll clean her." And I felt so awkward because that was one of the few times in my life I have ever met a nurse who didn't think she was above "wiping butts."
I work with a lot of nurses who refuse to wipe butts. They would prefer to let the patient marinate in their own feces than god forbid touch poopy. I notice it a lot with the young newer BSN trained RN's. One of them said to me, " I didn't get all of this education so I could wipe butts, " Wow. I tried to explain to her that while you are cleaning the patient you are also assessing their skin, etc. Like talking to a brick wall.
Oh, I just want to be a fly on the wall when DIL has her first baby - and figures out that she's going to be changing diapers on her little bundle of joy... :barf01:
.thumb.jpg.d886846e07036d0f38a7115e95273c1c.jpg){kind=small}
Jolie, BSN
6,375 Posts
I love the way you think. I'd buy you a beer if you actually use that line the next time you have a conversation with this person!