Poop Free Nursing Jobs in the Hospital?

[IcySageNurse]

Okay, before anyone starts the insane spamming, please READ THE POST. This is not meant to demean or attack any nurses. I am an RN and I love nursing - and I respect everything that nurses do. I know that some people are also better at some things than others. This is meant to be a very respectful post simply asking for some help and advice, so please do not start attacking and saying that I don't "understand" what nursing is. Thank you in advance! :)

Here's the issue: I started a job right out of nursing school with a hospital. I stayed for a few months, but I literally used to want to cry every day that I went. I wasn't overwhelmed by the responsibility or the new things I needed to learn (I actually enjoyed that)...it was the "cleaning" part of our job description. I know it's part of nursing, and I certainly cleaned my patients quickly and extremely well, but not without gagging. I can't help it. I truly find it very disgusting cleaning someones watery feces off of their back, butt, and bed. Everytime I smelled that horrible smell I became sick to my stomach knowing what I was about to have to do. It controlled my life and I was so unhappy I quit.

Fast forward: I work in a primary care office. I love it! No poop, normal hours, etc. I also have developed a passion for family practice, and with so many physicians choosing to specialize instead of work in FP, I see how important NPs will be as more and more Americans are insured under current laws. I want to help fill that void. I could easily go to NP school now, but I feel NPs were developed to expand on their current clinical experience. While I love my job, I honestly don't learn much about medicine, it's mainly vitals and scheduling, etc. I feel to truly become a competent NP and provide high quality care to my patients, I need to work in a hospital environment for a few years so that I can manage my own patients and learn about their conditions and treatments. This of course is an issue considering my previous experience with this...so what can I do??

Any advice? I really need some help here, not 3-4 pages of insults about how I should just learn to love cleaning up poop. I will never love it, and I don't have to love it to be a good nurse. I do respect all of you that do, however, and I'm sure your patients do too! :)

[BSNbeauty, BSN, RN]

Op get over it. I don't go to work thinking " boy, I just can't wait to clean up poop today". Don't let poop keep you from your goals. Time to be mature and grow up .

[MoopleRN]

Let me say this: you also struck a chord with me. You see - this is exactly the kind of post that really irritates me. Did I ever state anywhere that I will not provide care? If you bothered to read my posts on here, you would see that I said that I would never not provide care to my patient and would do whatever I needed (grab a partner to help, find a CNA, do it myself if no one was around, etc). I, as a nurse, would never let someone sit around in their own feces. It's morally wrong. That is why I am on here trying to find "poop free" job advice - that way I can do my job and provide the best care possible without being unhappy in the process. So save your judgement, Moople, because you're way off base with that comment.

Make up your mind, "cannot and will not clean up poop" = not providing care. Your quote above says you "...would do whatever I needed (grab a partner to help, find a CNA, do it myself if no one was around, etc)". How does "do it myself" (if you can't fop it off onto someone else) jive with "cannot and will not clean up poop"?!?!? It doesn't.

I'm not way off base. You're inconsistent in your statements. BTW, how long are you going to let the person sit there soiled before you can finally find someone else to do it for you/help you? Do you expect your colleagues to drop whatever they're doing to take care of your code brown? You say you "would never let someone sit around in their own feces" but if you knowingly leave them soiled while you go find someone else, that's exactly what you're doing!!!!!!!!!

If you feel you're being judged negatively, which is exactly what I'm doing, you can either give a crap about that or not. Won't change my opinion/judgement either way.

[BlueDevil,DNP, DNP, RN]

If you think NPs don't deal with poop and other icky things, then you will be sourly disappointed.

whatchu talking bout willis?

Um, no. Not a single time since day 1 in NP school. Now there is no guarantee that no one is going to sheet his or her drawers in the clinic, but they might also do that at the piggly wiggly. The difference is in neither case am I going to get within 5 feet of them on a bet.

No emesis or sputum either. A little blood and pus, but that is by choice (A chance to cut is a chance to cure people!)

OP, keep a stiff upper lip (literally) and get thee to NP school. Leave the naysayers behind to clean up the poop and forget them.

[nursel56]

There are lots of icky things in Family Practice. I've seen the doctors "get it" in lots of ways but luckily none of them shunned it.

[LongislandRN23]

Go work at the bank. If your not willing to take care of a patient in all kf their needs then you should not be a nurse. Nursing is taking care of patients at their worst moments. Boom shaka laka

[MoopleRN]

...Boom shaka laka

Boom shaka laka indeed!!!! I don't know if OP should be a nurse or not (let alone a NP) but I TOTALLY agree with the shaka lakking BOOM.

LongislandLPN, you owe me a new keyboard. There's diet cherry coke all over this one.

bwahahahaha!!!!!!

[Vespertinas]

I have found that if I take myself out of my *self*, and think about the patient, then my little misery is nothing. .....YOU ARE THERE FOR HIM! To be a nurse is to SERVE. ....Do you know the humiliation of being dependent ....the most we can do as nurses it be grateful to serve in the capacity we have chosen, in a manner that the patient is put to ease, and is allowed to feel blessed with your presence.... once you master the heart of nursing, you will become an incredible nurse, and the poop will not be an issue anymore...be glad you are not the one in the bed.

Best post on this thread.

I disagree. I think it's unfair to insist that OP should martyr herself to prove that she's a good, compassionate nurse.

It's like saying that mothers shouldn't be bothered by their infant's cries if they REALLY loved their child.

And telling OP that putting herself in the patient's shoes will help her feel better about the task is also absurd.

It's like telling someone who divorced their husband to not to be sad because he's the one who has to look for a new apartment. Am I losing everyone yet?

[gummi bear]

OP, you're free to do/dislike whatever you want, but I've worked with nurses like you (that refused to do anything in regards to whatever disgusted them). I'm a CNA and I'm also in nursing school. Please keep in mind how your coworkers are feeling and how you are affecting teamwork in your work space. I haven't met anyone that enjoys cleaning poop, but the job gets done. I seriously hope that you find the job that you are looking for because your aversion to something that occurs commonly in nursing may already be painfully obvious to your coworkers. Just my two CNA cents.

[MoopleRN]

I disagree. I think it's unfair to insist that OP should martyr herself to prove that she's a good, compassionate nurse.

It's like saying that mothers shouldn't be bothered by their infant's cries if they REALLY loved their child.

And telling OP that putting herself in the patient's shoes will help her feel better about the task is also absurd.

It's like telling someone who divorced their husband to not to be sad because he's the one who has to look for a new apartment. Am I losing everyone yet?

The OP doesn't have to ".. martyr herself to prove that she's a good, compassionate nurse." Who said she did? "It's like saying that mothers shouldn't be bothered by their infant's cries if they REALLY loved their child." This makes zero sense to me.

I don't think it's absurd for the OP to put herself in the patient's shoes in order to help her feel better about cleaning BM. A nurse SHOULD be empathetic. Since it's a physical aversion for the OP, however, all the empathy in the world won't help her pull on a pair of gloves and clean up the poop. The whole divorce comment lost me, too. Keeping the apt in a divorce doesn't mean you won't be sad about the divorce.

I don't know if you've lost everyone, but you've certainly lost me. That's ok, though. I often feel lost/confused or just plain disagree when I read your posts. I do enjoy reading them, however, and respect your contributions.

[whitsinn]

My Family Doctor ( who was a personal friend) would literally shudder at the sight of mucus coming from my toddler's nose. So, according to some of you, his aversion to snot means he shouldn't have gone into family practice. He was a fantastic doctor, one with 25+ years of service to the community just in private practice alone.

To the OP, there's such a wide range of practice in the healthcare field. Have you considered dermatology, particularly as an NP? I doubt there's any poop there! Also, insurance companies hire RNs to do physicals for new policy holders. The nurse that visited my house for my policy took my weight, blood pressure, and drew blood. She had extremely flexible hours and was considered an independent contractor. Now granted, that avenue wouldn't allow you to use all your skills, but again, no poop.

Seeking advice is the best thing you can possibly do. You just need to ignore all the poop on this thread and listen to constructive advice.

[Vespertinas]

That's ok, though. I often feel lost/confused or just plain disagree when I read your posts.

I should develop a drinking habit so at least I'd have a sensible excuse for where it all comes from.

[MoopleRN]

I should develop a drinking habit so at least I'd have a sensible excuse for where it all comes from.

Again, this response makes zero sense to me. Do you mean if you had a "drinking habit" it would explain why I don't understand/agree with you? You don't need a "sensible excuse" for not making sense to me. You don't need any excuse at all. It's not your fault I don't understand or agree with your contributions. I wish I DID understand. I'll keep trying to understand and hopefully you'll be patient with me when/if I don't.