Nursing too gross for me?

donsterRN, ASN, BSN · May 10, 2008

As a nurse, you'll be working with people, both men and women, both healthy and unhealthy, intimately. School will not only teach you tasks, but the rationale behind them. Somehow, knowing why you're doing something makes the actual doing much easier to accept.

Only you can make the decision as to what you can tolerate. Nursing is not easy, but it is gratifying. You'll have to decide if that's enough.

Good luck in whatever you decide.

TazziRN, RN · May 10, 2008

All of us have at least one thing that we have trouble with, but we get past it and deal with it to do our jobs. It's not for everybody, but if you really want it you will find a way around the yucky stuff.

CHATSDALE · May 10, 2008

what you think you can do you will do

what you think you can't do you will never be able to do

Perpetual Student · May 10, 2008

Wow, I'm stunned that placing catheters is what you're most grossed out by. I've never had it done to me, but I do it at least once per shift on average and it doesn't bother me too much. I'm sure it's somewhat unpleasant to have something stuck up your urethra, but to me it doesn't compare to the grossness of explosive diarrhea. And even that doesn't bother me that much anymore.

If you truly want to do it, you'll learn to tolerate the "nasty" stuff. You'll have to do a certain amount of such tasks in school, and then probably some more while working as an RN prior to finishing the MSN program. Even as an NP you'll probably have to do some things that you don't like, just like any other job.

showbizrn · May 10, 2008

Pennfan,

You're considering a NP career.

Well, that's an advanced practice specialty RN

which means you'll be performing

advanced-level tasks

which are "above"

the basic-level entry RN duties.

If YOU WANT it,

toughen-up

and get-thru

the stuff

that makes you puke.

We all got "that one thing"

that we HATE

(I hate ADMISSIONS!!! :bugeyes: )

You've set your goal.

The question is

DO YOU WANT IT BADLY ENOUGH???

:up: Much success to you!!!

Alex_RN2b09 · May 10, 2008

Yeah, caths are cake. If you want gross go with overflowing colostomy bags or trach suctioning.

casi, ASN, RN · May 10, 2008

I think the things that gross you out right now are fairly natural. Once you get into nursing and acctually get up to your elbows in it, you'll find that some of the stuff you listed is cake walk.

I would suggest trying CNA training and seeing how you handle the hands on basic nursing care. If you have an oppertunity to get up close and personal with nursing you might change your mind about things being gross.

futurecnm · May 10, 2008

I'm just about to graduate high school and am going on to college. One career that I'm considering is a nurse practitioner. However, I've heard that in nursing school toward then end you do a lot of dirty work. I think I can handle cleaning up feces and puke and all those fun things, but cleaning wounds and the BIG one Catherizing men. I'm a guy and the thought of it makes me cringe.
So do you think I'm too big of a wuss to tough through nursing school then go one to get my masters? Or does the schooling not involve as much stuff like that as I thnk?

you do a lot of the dirty work in nursing school, especially first semester!! You to total patient care through school, which means all of the above. Catheters are no big deal, nothing gross about doing those at all. feces and vomit are much worse. I'd much rather deal with blood than vomit! :)

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · May 10, 2008

Like the others said, what you've listed as "gross" sure doesn't match up to what *I* consider gross

Walking into a room to find a patient has flung off his colostomy bag, and is painting himself with feces: that is gross.

The admission who, when you get down to the final layers of clothing, has maggots in them: that is gross.

The patient who has long fingernails (and by the way, he's male) and feces dried under them: that is gross.

The patient who has far too many secretions and is unable to clear them so that when you grab a Yankower (suction tube) from the wall and aim it at the back of the throat you pull off SHEETS of slimy, sticky phlegmy stuff: that is gross.

Seeing the guy walking into the ED with a dirty, wet, stinking gauze wrap hanging on somehow to one foot, having to UNWRAP that puppy, and finding rotting blackened flesh under there that smells like it was dipped in dead cat: that is gross.

So....get your guts tightened, realize you will be seeing and smelling just about anything you can imagine, and get on with it, LOL. If you want to be a nurse (advance practice or otherwise), this is your world. :)

As a nurse practitioner, any of those people could either walk into your office, or you'd have to go to them. Humanity is icky

Pennfan · May 10, 2008

Thanks to everyone for the responses! Apparently what worries me most everyone says is really easy haha. Well, I think gross was the wrong word for how I feel about catheters. The thought of them hurts me haha. I was in a car accident a few years ago and busted some vertebrates in my neck and back and I 'd say the catherization was the worst part.

Bocephus71RN-BSN, BSN, RN · May 10, 2008

Honestly, some tasks at first are repulsive to say the least. However, you become desensitized to the nasty things and do them, but those things you really don't like won't change at least they haven't for me. I've inserted hundreds if not more catheters in females, and still today after almost 14 years I hate starting a cath on a female. If you think you want to be a APN get your pre req's outta the way, start nursing school and by the first semester you will have a good idea if you can cut it or not, if not it wouldn't be too late to change your major.