Poop in nursing

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I am an RN. My niece is 18 and hoping to go to nursing school. Recently she told me that there will be no poop cleaning at her nursing school or in the hospital she plans to work in. "I am not going to be THAT kind of nurse. I won't have to change adult diapers."

I was shocked when I heard this! Why had I and all of my nursing coworkers chosen "poop" nursing schools! Where is this special poop free hospital?

Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.

The OPs niece is going to be in for a big surprise.

Specializes in Emergency, Telemetry, Transplant.
Yup. I bet she isn't alone either.

No, she isn't. The nurse class before mine had someone earn a hospital scholarship (i.e. they pay for school, she gives them a certain number of years in return). Well, she "broke" the terms of the scholarship, quitting before her commitment was up. She told the director of the nursing program "at this hospital they make RNs deal with way too much poop and that was not what I signed up for--I'm outta there." In our class, they told us about the scholarship, but later one of the instructors said "yeah, I don't think any one you will win it. Nothing against you, but after last year's winner bailed, that hospital will definitely not be giving the scholarship to someone from our school."

I am an RN who cleans poop everyday that I work. Usually more than twice a day. I have met some nurses who think they are above that and that it's cna work. Poop cleaning is within the scope of our practice. Many nurses will initiate the students by having them do incontinence care often.

Preventing skin breakdown is ultimately the responsibility of the RN anyway-- who would want to risk that by having their patient sitting in feces!? Shame on those nurses! I'm not an RN yet, but all of the RNs on my unit won't hesitate to clean their own patients if they notice that they have been incontinent. It baffles me to think that nurses or other students think that they are above basic patient care.

Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.

My charge nurse cleans poop.

I've had to clean poop... most of my clinical time has been at a (disgusting and terribly run) nursing home,. the majority of our day was diaper changes

I'm sure some RN's deal with much less poop than others.

Then again, there are plenty WAY more gross things that we do get to deal with. there's times I'd rather clean the poop.

Specializes in Psychiatry.

The millenium generation kids expect their iPhone to do everything for them. Please discourage her while you can before she becomes one of those miserable nurses that we unfortunately come across almost on a daily basis. I have disimpacted patients with my digits and I am not talking about 1, 2,3,......

Specializes in Psychiatry.

It is just another physiological process...nothing disgusting about it. Let your niece know that please before she curls up her nose in front of a patient and makes the patient feel bad/guilty.

No poop in nursing school? She won't be that kind of nurse? What?! Maybe she should choose another profession. It's not for everyone and if she keeps that attitude she won't last very long.

Not only do I clean my patient's poop but if a call light goes on for a different patient I handle it. It's teamwork and ethical behavior.

Specializes in Med/Surg, LTACH, LTC, Home Health.

Well, how about removing the impaction, then? C'mon now.....teamwork! If she won't clean it, at least she can help to bring it to the surface. I'll take it from there.:roflmao:

Lets be honest..RN's don't deal with poop as much. They do but not like cnas and lvns

I like they irony that your screen name is "stay humble"

Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

It absolutely amazes me when I hear nurses or aspiring nurses say this......:eek:

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