Question ABout Clinicals

NorthernRose · Jun 24, 2005

Just remember that no matter who's butt it is you really dont want to wipe...that that person would really rather being doing it for themselves also. As a nurse we do the things for people that they can't do for themselves regardless of if its feeding them tending to the other end. It's just as uncomfortable and undiginified for them as it is for us to be doing it. Hope you do well : )

SmilingBluEyes · Jun 24, 2005

I learned as I went through school I "had it in me" to do MANY things I never thought possible. It really, in a huge way, built my self-esteem and self-confidence up! You can do it. One semester, week, day at a time.

cdietrich404 · Jun 24, 2005

LTC & geriatrics is what I'm interested in doing. It certainly doesn't put me off helping an elderly dear with ADL's. You can learn so much from this population and the sad thing is that when they age, get ill, they lose so much of their dignity. They may be lonely--may not have family or family doesn't visit them. A smile, holding their hand, comforting them means so very much to them. I had a lovely dear old lady one time in clinical -- not my assigned patient but shared a room with her. She was dying--no family there although she had family in the area. She was scared and every moment I had free I took time to hold her hand, comfort her, keep her comfortable as possible. I didn't want this lady to die alone and she did pass, holding on to my hand; she knew that I was there.
This might just turn out to be a very rewarding experience for you.

Your certainly right. This could turn out to be very rewarding and i may end up thinking what was i so worried about. I need to be a little bit more open minded i guess.

Cheryl

cdietrich404 · Jun 24, 2005

Cheryl: I have to jump in here, if you cannot "wipe an old person's butt", how are you going to wipe anybody's butt or for that matter be a nurse? It all goes with the job. You gotta start out somewhere like the rest of us. You can do it! Don't be scared! :w00t:

Its not that i CAN'T wipe a persons butt, i have been doing that for 6 year straight now since i have a 6, 4 and 1 year old, its just the thought of wiping some old man/stranger's butt is very intimadating and honestly kinda scary to me at this point.

Cheryl

HappyNurse2005, RN · Jun 24, 2005

See, it also depends, are you going to RN or LPN schooling? I finished up my RN program last week, and we spend 1 day in a LTC facility. The LPN program at my school spends 6 weeks there. LPN programs in general seem to spend more time there.

Though, I did have many, many, many LTC patients who were hospitalized on my med--surg and PCU rotations. The hospital populations are often elderly, and you will have many elderly patients, no matter what your rotation is.

HappyNurse2005, RN · Jun 24, 2005

PS- you get used to it. You may never like "wiping someone's butt" but you get used to it.

jenrninmi, MSN, RN · Aug 31, 2005

I am going to be entering into nursing school shortly and plan to go into either L&D or pediatrics. My question about clinicals is this: i am not a huge fan of LTC and was wondering what would be expected of me during clinicals for LTC? What exactly will i be doing?
Thanks for any imput,
Cheryl
mommy to 3 almost 4

Do you know for sure you'll be doing LTD for clinicals? My program didn't include LTC - maybe yours won't either.

cdietrich404 · Aug 31, 2005

Do you know for sure you'll be doing LTD for clinicals? My program didn't include LTC - maybe yours won't either.

Yes they do it. I checked into it. I just will have to mentally prepare myself.

NurseforPreggers · Aug 31, 2005

Even though you may already know what area of nursing you want to go into, keep an open mind and try to learn as much as you can about all areas. When I was hired last year into L&D as a new grad my supervisor said to me, "We do alot more than deliver babies. We are OB nurses, we are med/surg nurses, we are pediatric nurses, we are critical care nurses, we are emergency nurses." That has always stuck out in my mind.

You wouldn't believe what you can do until you try. There are so many things in you that you have no idea you could ever accomplish. Just do it! And be proud of it! You are on your way to a great career. These are just the stepping stones to get there, they will pass.

elizabells, BSN, RN · Aug 31, 2005

Cheryl, I just finished my first semester, and going in I felt just as you did. I had some bad experiences in my gmother's nursing home and I was really frightened of dealing intimately with older, dependent patients. Cleaning up poop is not fun. But you just sort of...do it. I don't really know how to explain it, but I promise, it's not as bad as I thought it would be. I'm going into the NICU, so I feel you on being frustrated that a lot of the stuff we're learning isn't completely relevant to me...but I feel like a lot of nursing school is just learning how to function in the environment of nursing, rather than the actual skills and tasks.

Good luck to you!