Please Tell Me This Isnt So!

[ILUVNURSING01132006]

i hear a lot of stories that during ur first year of working as a RN or LPN, you'll be doing pretty much everything that u kinda dont wanna do such as: cleaning bed pans, or bathing people and things like that. Is this info true??

[linzz]

What you will be doing the first year will be mainly learning to organize your work load and navigate your way through the politics of the workplace. If you are in LTC, you will likely be learning ways to effectively pass your meds in the required time and deal with all the other issues that come up in a day. In LTC, the CNA's have to do the bulk of the dirty work but you may need to help them out at times. I don't know how much dirty work you will do in a hospital, guess it depends on the hospital. I have mainly mentioned LTC care because it seems that I am hearing that some states do not have LPN's in the hospitals.

[classicmusic09]

i hear a lot of stories that during ur first year of working as a RN or LPN, you'll be doing pretty much everything that u kinda dont wanna do such as: cleaning bed pans, or bathing people and things like that. Is this info true??

Dear Iluvnursing, My first year in nursing was much the way Linzz was saying. What you described above, sounds more like primary care. That is one type of nursing I've done, in a hospital setting. You are assigned a small group of patients, to whom you are responsible for meds, treatments, dressing changes, baths, linen changes etc. Depending on your preferences, this can work out well. Getting to know the patients, and establishing trust, creates a workable situation.

[Fiona59]

I work in active treatment, and YOU are responsible for your patient's hygiene. We have one NA shared between 10 rn and pn on day shift, one nights there is no NA and on evenings there is only one between six nurses.

If they are incontinent you clean up, the patient,the bed, the floors, the walls. The NA is there to help us not do all the dirty work.

[CHATSDALE]

I have worked in places where the nurse [either pn or rn] did total care of patient and places where they seldom did any direct care..be prepared to help if the aid is overwhelmed and you can do something...it is poor nursing to do leave a patient with bm or emesis i the aid is busy with another patient

[pagandeva2000, LPN]

I find it to be the same way...organizing your time management. I work in a hospital clinic, so, the bedside care is not really included in my description, but, if I had to work the floor, then, yes, occasionally, you will have to assist. No one enjoys cleaning crap, but, it is better for the patient to do it, and also, developing a trusting relationship with your aides is important. They may be your eyes and ears, and treating them with dignity brings their support (the good ones, anyway).

[linzz]

I was reading my area board of nursing magazine and a patient that stayed in a hospital, wrote a letter praising the LPN who came into her room, changed her sheets and helped her wash up as she was feeling grubby after surgery. It was so good to hear someone sing the praises of an LPN.

[ohmeowzer RN, RN]

you'll be working with a precpetor for the first 3 months, then rpoabaly be doing total care .. which means bedbaths, bedpans, the hospitals don't hire CNA's like they use to. the CNA's are usually the first to go home when the census drops.. and that leaves the nurses with total care... i find it exhausting.. but i love my patients

[dolphn545]

The CNA (or NA) is nurse assistant. The responsibility of complete patient care lies with the nurse, and that will include bedpans and bathing people. Regardless of what title you have after your name (RN or LPN) YOU are still responsible for complete patient care. The CNA's are there to assist, and you can delegate to, but it's ultimately your responsibility and the dirty work comes along with the nursing title.

[RNDreamer]

It's my understanding that these are things that you will be doing whether it is your first year, 3rd year or 30th year as a nurse...being a nurse does not exclude you from these duties...,lol, it may not be as bad as you think...I remember the first time I had to clean up poop, it was messy and I called my mother and told her that I was longer interested in becoming a nurse..I also called my friend (an RN) and told her that this wasn't for me and I was quitting..by the time I finished cleaning the poop, toilet bowl and tub, I was over it....now it's no big deal to me

i hear a lot of stories that during ur first year of working as a RN or LPN, you'll be doing pretty much everything that u kinda dont wanna do such as: cleaning bed pans, or bathing people and things like that. Is this info true??

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

i hear a lot of stories that during ur first year of working as a RN or LPN, you'll be doing pretty much everything that u kinda dont wanna do such as: cleaning bed pans, or bathing people and things like that. Is this info true??

During my first year in nursing, I only gave one shower. However, I have emptied a few bed pans and urine bags. You will need to empty the urine bag to ensure that your patient is putting out enough urine. Also, you will need to examine the color and clarity of the patients' urine, because these things can hint to further health problems that need to be reported.

[gettingupthere]

i hear a lot of stories that during ur first year of working as a RN or LPN, you'll be doing pretty much everything that u kinda dont wanna do such as: cleaning bed pans, or bathing people and things like that. Is this info true??

I KNOW A FEW NEW AND OLD NURSES WHO hate TO DO HANDS ON CARE FOR PATIENTS. tHEY SPEND 10 MIN. LOOKING FOR AN AIDE TO DO SOME SIMPLE TASK( SUCH AS PLACING SOMEONE ON A BEDPAN)RATHER THAN DO IT THEMSELVES. tHESE NURSES FRUSTRATE ME!