Grrrse

It happens all the time in Indiana. One of the sister hospitals in our network has a crazy PCU/ICU combo unit. You either have 2 ICU and one PCU or 4 PCU or 2-3PCU and 1ICU and your patients can be on different hallways. In the ER I worked in prior to moving to PACU I would routinely have 4 acute stroke, sepsis, chest pain, etc patients and a drunk in the gurney in front of me. You are lucky to be in Cali.

Way to go. I just graduated with a BSN last week. There were 7 guys in my graduating class of 61. I'm one of two guys on my unit, until last year, they had never had a male employee. There are more and more of us in the field. It's a great career. Nursing school is hard, but you sound like you are extremely dedicated, so I'm sure you'll be able to do it. I hope to see your graduation pic on here some day.

Don't drop out. It gets better. Regular old poop, diarrhea, and even a touch of C.Diff barely make me flinch these days. I did about puke emptying an ostomy bag on Monday, but hey, still beats pushing paper around an office at my old job and spending my days on the telephone handling auto claims. Really though, the poop thing has gotten better, I haven't even used a mask in a while, but yeah, still not my favorite thing in the world. Thank God I had a bunch of walky-talkies yesterday, because Monday was Poop-City. Oh yeah, quick update, I'm not a student any longer. Graduated with a BSN last week. I've been working as a tech for the last year, and with any luck and a ton of studying, I'll pass the NCLEX at the end of June. I already have a job lined up, so it's study, study, study for me right now.

So it comes around full circle..... At the end of this clinical last summer, I interviewed for and started as a PCT on the unit. I've been there almost a year now. I graduated last week with a BSN and now I've been offered a day shift staff RN position in the surgical oncology unit. I've come a long long way since my student nurse post, and with any luck and a ton of preparation, I will pass the NCLEX in June and be hard at work as a newly minted Onc RN. Thanks for everyone's feedback.

Thanks Mrnightingale! Thankfully my poop aversion is improving. I've also learned that trach care doesn't gross me out at all. So I think I'll be trying to work out trades.

So I'm wrapping up my second week and fourth clinical day in oncology. It's nothing like what I had expected. We have a more diverse group of patients than what I expected. When I received the assignment we were not told that it's both oncology and hematology. So some days I have patients that are in for a round of chemo and other days I have 17 year olds with sickle cell and other issues. It's been an interesting trip so far. I'm learning to be compassionate and at the same time, realistic that I'm only there for 10 hours each day and can only do so much for each patient, and in knowing that, I've challenged myself to make each of my patients feel special and to make them as comfortable as possible. One part student nurse taking vitals, passing meds, doing assessments and one part concierge/housekeeper. Oncology is not nearly as depressing as I thought it would be, it's emotionally exhausting, but I really feel like I have more of an opportunity to help people than I did in other rotations on other floors.

I'm looking for pointers on my new clinical assignment. I start a 6 week rotation through oncology next week. I've had some experience in this setting between my uncle's long battle with leukemia and my mother in law's passing due to pancreatic cancer, but I'm sure its very much different when you're working on the floor. I think I'll be fine and I tend to be very stoic and unemotional, but some of my cohort is already dreading this. Any pointers for me and for my cohort in our oncology rotation?

My first day of clinicals I had to switch patients. She was an 18 yo acute ortho paying and didn't want a strange guy helping her with bedpans, bed baths, etc. Conversely the sweet senior lady I was reassigned to preferred working with a male student nurse. I think it's all in what the patient is comfortable with.

Thanks for all the tips. I bought mint oil and Vicks for my scrub pocket. Hoping this weeks clinical days are better.

I'm one of 9 guys in a cohort of 75. I've noticed that some instructors are easier on the guys and aren't as picky when we perform skills check offs and what not and other instructors are much harder on us guys and just sort of toss us to the wolves when it comes to clinicals and figuring things out. It really depends on the clinical instructor. All of my lectures are online and the tests are taken in a computer lab with a proctor, so I can't speak to any bias from lecturers. For the most part, with the lecture exams, the guys I know are doing just as well on exams as the women.

I'm 6'5" but a 36 inseam, I have long legs for my height. The cargo scrubs from Landau work fine for me. I have the regular 2x and they are plenty long enough, but they come in tall also. Landau Mens stretch contemporary fit cargo scrub pants. - Scrubs and Beyond

Ok, please don't laugh or deride me, but I'm wrapping up my first semester in an accelerated second degree BSN program. I've had four clinical days so far and in our program we fly solo from day one with one instructor for every 8 students backing us up if we have questions. On my fourth day working with patients, I had to walk out when another student asked for an assist cleaning up her patient who had a huge watery BM that was up his back, down his legs, up between his thighs and all over his genitals. I had just completely my third bedpan/clean up on my assigned patient, and the smell of my co-students patient was just too much. I turned green, nearly vomitted and walked out and found another student to help her. I knew poop was going to be a part of nursing and nursing school prior to starting this, but I didn't think the smell would kick my ass like it did on Wednesday. Does it get easier to deal with? It's not the sight, idea, or concept of cleaning it up, I don't feel gross, dirty or shameful like some people have said on this forum after cleaning up a patient. The smell just kicks my ass after a while. The three bedpans earlier that day were a cake walk, but something about this one was just too much. I need some advice and pointers. Thanks!