Scared Of Poop!!!!!!!!! Help!!!!!!!

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I'm starting my nursing program on Jan.25th, and i'm really, really excited. Ever since I can remember I've always dreamed about being a nurse. I'm a medical assitant at a cardiologist office and I love working hands on and I love my patients to the point that I can't wait until I become a RN and work at a hospital. During orientation we were told that our first practice cite will be at a nursing home :uhoh3:. One thing I'm actually not looking forward to doing is looking at poop!!! I could deal with blood, I can deal with pee, but i'm actually scared of my reaction to looking at poop and changing patients, I'm scared I might:barf01:

I've changed a childs diaper before and i've had no problem...but I have never changed a adults diaper nor smelled or been up close and personal to it. I'm so afraid of how i'm going to react to it...does anyone ever felt this way? Does anyone have some advice or suggestions??? Is it true that it's just like changing a child. I'm scared of the smell and how i would react to it. HELP!!!! i feel recidiculous...:trout:

Great advice right there, i've never looked at it through the viewpoint of putting myself in their position. I'm guessing with that in the back of my head as well as vicks somewhere near by i'll easily make it :)

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poop has never worried me, hell, i have had four babies. poop is nothing, warm, stale urine on the other hand....eeeewwwwww. cath bags that are being emptied....barf

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Specializes in Rehab/Post Acute.

I honestly think being a mother before being a nurse helped. I couldn't have done this at 22yo. I just had to wipe after a patient for the first time (thought it was something I'd have a hard time with)--- , and then the next day I cleaned the bathroom after a patient had a little poopy accident. turns out it wasn't hard at all--- no problem. Not that much different then my kids. Glad I got the first poopy experiences over with and know that it's not a problem.

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Well, one pooper scooper does not concern me. Yes, you can grin and bear it for that. Or even a couple.

But if you are considering a CNA job to get you started in funds to go to school, 40 to 60 consecutive wet browneyes is a little staggering for anyone to imagine. Yes, you are going to get used to it somewhat from repetition; but like looking in crawdad bellies, you are going to get gag every now and then on what you see/smell.

I would still like to find a niche CNA job which did not assembly line poopers and bath's, and yet be constant hours you can depend on. Give me challenge, pressure, and caring duties beyond the call: but you can have the transmittable bio-hazard duties you want all for yourselves.

Maybe when analyses of an RN skills is required, then it will be different: and it won't be repetitive. No wonder there is a CNA attitude noted in many posts. Notice the RN's don't mind, yet they are not the high volume repetitive changers either. And I admit, if you don't do it much, it shouldn't be a big deal

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I can sympothize, we all have our likes and our dislikes. Just don't think about it!

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Specializes in Pediatrics.
poop is part of nursing, if you don't like it then you shouldn't be a nurse.

Your post is just like my friend who after seeing poop on an old naked man quit nursing school after the second month of the first semester.... he had school paid for with a hospital scholarship, a job when he finished..... and he would tell me things like what you just posted.

Have a little compassion!

I've only completed my first semester of nursing and I was nervous about the same thing. I haven't had to deal with TONS of poop just yet, but I remember being sorta freaked out before I had to deal with my first colostomy. But when I walked in and saw that poor lady dealing with diarrhea and resulting skin irritation on her stomach from it, the "nurse in me" took over and I totally got over the "gross poop" part of it. It truly was a lot worse for her than for me, and I was more concerned with her suffering than anything else.

But for heaven's sake, is there ever really a nursing student out there who looked forward to dealing with excrement?? I think most of us have been there at one time or another...

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Specializes in Women's Health, Oncology.

Here's a little trick I learned.

I have a little solid tin of a perfume called "Karma" by a company called LUSH. I keep it in my pocket and if I have to clean some one up..I take a litte and rub it under my nose (then wash my hands of course!).

It smells really nice and clean and takes away at least one factor in the poop-phobia!

After a few years you will embrace the poop and learn to do things like melt a bag of hersey's kisses on a bedsheet to help initiate the new RN's and CNA's. LOL!:lol2:

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Just wait till you get a few fecalfeliacs that with leaky bums that want to pick and smear all day. Then a little diaper chage or help wiping won't seem so bad. I have actually put people in restraints before, just because I couldn't make them stop smearing their poop everywhere.

While I do feel bad for the little old lady that has lost bowel control and can't wipe herself anymore deep down I think, I would kill myself before I get like this. In some ways my attitude is worse than yours because it means deep down I think my patients should just die, rather than need this level of care. So if an evil person like me can handle it, surely you can get over your attitide and handle it too.

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I thought that I was going to be that way too. I'm in my third semester of the nursing program now. I started working as a tech after the first semester on a med surg unit (lots of poop!). Trust me... You will not hurl! When you get in there and are taking care of your pts, it won't be like you're picturing it. And it is much worse for them to have to have someone wipe their butts... Well the ones that aren't confused.... Confused ones don't really care either way. Hospitals have deodorizer spray too. In case it's bad. :) It's just gonna be one of those natural body functions that you accept. Good luck!

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Just think of poop as a combination of chemicals, like anything else.

It just smells really bad.

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:nurse:A very wise lpn student makes friends w/ his/her cna on the first day!!

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you will do fine, here is a little tip, place some vanilla extract, or vicks vapo rub, under your nose while changing a pt. focus on the task at hand, breath thru your mouth. and focus on something nice in your mind, while doing the task.

as was stated before, "it is more unpleasant for your pt."

and be sympathetic, think of how you would feel if you were in that position. it is not the pts. fault by any means, nor would they do this if they could control it. i make a joke with them, if it is a person i can do this with, i always tell them i have my grandson in training to change my butt, and he told me he would take care of his nee nee.... heheheheh

they giggle and laugh and its relieves their embarrassment.

this is your dream to be a nurse dont let that go because of a little poopy, you will be fine!!!!!

good luck...!!!!!!!:lol2:;)

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