what percentage of your job involves poop?

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Also what percentage of your job do you have to use critical thinking skills; assessing a patient, acting fast, anything other than routine, nothing to learn type of situations (that you might or might not enjoy as well)

Just wondering. Just a pre-nursing student that wants to change change careers, but once in a while questions myself.

Thanks!

Maybe it's just me, but I am way more worried about the thought that some nurse might have to clean my poop someday than I am about me cleaning someone elses. I have poop issues though :lol2:

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Specializes in geriatrics.

Are you serious? Poop, blood, mucous, vomit....all or any one of these may be a part of your shift. Assessment and critical thinking forms the backbone of nursing practice. If you are not certain you can handle that, nursing may not be for you.

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Thanks Julie, your post was so reassuring and didn't make me feel like a freak for considering the amount of poop I might deal with. Yes poop is disgusting (c-diff even worse, I have had it myself, super sucked), but also something that makes me wonder is the boredom factor. I would imagine if 50% of my day was routine butt cleaning I would be concerned.. that is also why I asked. But I am happy to hear that isn't the case.

Jenn - So yes, I am serious, and a tush that hasn't seen water , a sponge, or soap in many months, that sounds pretty unpleasant as well. I am resilient, so if a few people say 'if you don't like poop, then maybe nursing isn't for you', that is fine, doesn't dissuade me.. I just worry that this kind of reaction could turn someone away because she would worry that she won't be supported by fellow nurses in getting use to the new things, etc. Also I kind of thought that was one of the purposes of allnurses. Asking questions that you wouldn't necessarily ask your teacher on the first day of class. no?

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Because poop is disgusting. Come on. It kills me when people respond to questions about poop as if they're surprised anyone would be disgusted or concerned about how much of it they're going to encounter. When you're new or haven't started school, or have just started clinicals, poop avoidance is pretty damn high on the radar. That's perfectly normal. Frankly, I'd be a little concerned about anyone who jumped right in as if the smell of **** didn't bother them in the least. =

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Specializes in CVICU.

No problem. Realistically, I went into nursing school doing my damnedest to avoid anything poop, mucous, or vomit related. I would have trouble not gagging, but I put on my game face because I didn't want to embarrass the patient. I literally dreaded having to deal with any of these things, and hated clinicals like the plague. So I disagree when people tell you that if you feel this way that nursing may not be for you. I think it's ok to feel this way, and I can tell you as someone who felt the same that once you start working, these kinds of things will become pretty non-important to you.

Instead of being disgusted because a patient had diarrhea or vomited all over the bed or themselves, you'll ask yourself what made this happen? Why were they incontinent or is it a sign of some other issue? If a patient has thick mucous, you might still be grossed out but the overriding thoughts will be keeping their airway clear or how you might be able to help them get relief from the problem. You're never gonna love poop or mucous (once I almost made myself vomit while using a yankauer to suck a huge booger out of a vented patient's nose), but it will become a non-issue.

Once your assessment and clinical skills are developed you will see these things as clues to a puzzle and not as isolated, gross events. This is the difference between a person who asks how much poop they might see in a day and a person who asks why they see that particular color of poop on that particular patient today.

I have found a lot of positive on this site, but I have seen more of a tendency of people to jump on others when they show any sort of weakness. Don't let it affect you if you truly believe nursing is what you want to do.

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be nice.remember I am pre-nursing student (with no family member that has been in the medical field).. Maybe when you are actually working it doesn't phase you , but just wondering how much is lifting your patients and cleaning them.

i think in numbers, so i am sorry if the concept of how many hours was offense :( wasn't my intention. also i didn't say i would NEVER be ok! if i am asking how much i am acknowledging that it is at least part of the job, right?

The hours/percentage of time is hard to assess cause we barely have time to do charting for the job let alone to analyze this(perhaps some higher up can figure it out from the sidelines). It all depends. I work in med-surg. One day you can be VERY lucky and have all walkie-talkies or self care pts. The reality is most likely0- 1 walkie talkie/self care. 1-2 assist. and the rest 3-5 incontinent etc. Oh and sometimes there are bowel preps on complete care pts...............................................................................

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I wonder if a lot of people with Coprophilia become RNs? :barf02:

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Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.

I'm out on maternity leave right now....far more of my time as a mother involves poop than my time as a nurse. Just yesterday while I was eating my cereal my daughter had the audacity to poop in her bouncy chair - up her front, up her back, into her armpits, and down her leg. That was fun to clean up. Fortunately, it was breastmilk poop, which as a previous poster mentioned, doesn't smell. :D

Just sayin'...

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Specializes in Infectious Disease, Neuro, Research.
I wonder if a lot of people with Coprophilia become RNs? :barf02:

No, but many of us start to lean that way.:D

Poop in nursing isn't bad. Being a prep-tech in a micro lab, setting up 200 stool slides & cultures per day, now that is a test of one's fortitude. You do become rather a poop connosieur, tho'...

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Specializes in Med Surg - Renal.
How come you don't smell it when it is warm? So like out of a 12 hour day you are wiping poop like 1 or 2 hours?

Ever heard of the book called "Everybody Poops"? You should check it out.

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About 50% on a cardiac floor. I don't know ..as many say, a poop cleanup is nothing compared to a disgruntled family member threatening to call the Hospital administrator ...or a patient with a sense of entitlement as big as a mountain.

Poop? What's poop? I'm happy to clean someone up and get them all nice and clean and comfortable. Some are really mortified, but if you have the skill to make them feel at ease ...well, that's what nursing is all about.

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I work in a Intensive Care unit and have for many years. Even when I worked step down in the 80's. Poo, vomit, sputum etc etc was and is part of my job as a nurse. In addition I have to do have the all the to do things that you questioned about. I have to, it's a critical care unit. I also have to monitor the doctors too...I work in a teaching facility.

I have to use all those skills to help keep my pts. alive or to help my pts. with the transition of dying and wipe poo

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Specializes in Critical Care.
Also what percentage of your job do you have to use critical thinking skills; assessing a patient, acting fast, anything other than routine, nothing to learn type of situations (that you might or might not enjoy as well)

Just wondering. Just a pre-nursing student that wants to change change careers, but once in a while questions myself.

LOL, involves all of the above plus poop. I often joke that I went to college to learn how to clean poop.

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