The HARD Truth for most nurses

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IS the hard truth for most nurses definitely new grads is that poop cleaning and urine collection RN jobs are all that is open?

Pretty much bedside care, running around like a chicken with your head cutoff.

I don't think ICU solves the issue either.

Definitely thinking about different degree, since experience is the only way to open up other nursing positions, but I am not about to work bedside for 10 years. I would rather go back to school.

I have a couple of months of bedside experience so is there anything else I can do besides bedside care? If not I have no choice to move on.

There is no way I can pursue marriage a family by bringing home income this way. Just not going to happen.

Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.

"Medical labor is all we do, but we are also not in debt like docs :)"

I don't know what medical labor is but I'm fairly certain I've never done any.

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Specializes in orthopedic/trauma, Informatics, diabetes.

I got a job as a new grad in a specialty. I love it. I don't mind caring for my patients. All care. If that involves cleaning up stuff, so be it. At least I know that they are voiding and having BMs

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To the OP. Looking back at your previous post about being fired and how nurses don't do science and "how there are no brains involved" it is probably appropriate to find another career.

Because if that is what nursing is to you let me promise you that you are doing it WAY wrong.

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
I do love public health nursing which is impossible to get. I will try again at the health department when positions show up, but I am also going to attempt another degree program.

The reason I did not quit is because I would not be able to apply to other programs. I would look like a quitter. Also I saw that there were clinical jobs in nursing too, not all bedside care. But seems I need at least 2 year experience to be safe and find something else.

Sorry to have come off as if I completely hate nursing. I do not. I think it is an honorable job, but not respected by many, low recognition, random hours, and over worked and at times not enough support.

As far as cleaning poop, babies is a joke, try it on an adult all day long. You seem to be very arrogant to say it is easy to clean butts. Think before you speak. Adults and peds is different. At times I get obese patients too. What about those? Is that cake for you to do too? You have such a cocky absolute response.

OVerall I was hoping to find some constructive responses to help me find somethign else besides bedside nursing. I see that there is nothing else. I pretty much have the answer.

Medical labor is all we do, but we are also not in debt like docs :)

Take care all.

You need two years experience before you can qualify for those "cushy jobs" that don't involve patients and their bodily functions. But if "medical labor" is all you're doing, you're not doing it right. No matter how "lowly" your position, you should be learning time management, critical thinking, leadership and myriad other things it would take too lung for my fuzzy post-night shift brain to list.

I didn't see anyone coming off as arrogant, and the fact that you don't like what someone has to say does not make it wrong. Yes, cleaning butts on babies is easier, and if that poster really took the job for that reason, I'm sorry for him or her. Cleaning up an obese patient is difficult . . . but I'm surprised you didn't seem to know that was part of the job going in.

I don't think what you need right now is a new job; I think you need two solid years of experience. Then see what you can do with that.

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"Medical labor is all we do, but we are also not in debt like docs :)"

I don't know what medical labor is but I'm fairly certain I've never done any.

It is when you labor with medicine, of course!

In England it is called medical labour.

In Pig Latin, edical-may abor-lay.

Geez, educate yourself roser13!

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Your post is definitely one that says you don't like nursing and is usually the common perception of people in the public who don't like nursing.

One time, almost 7 years ago in 10th grade in high school, 2008 or so, I volunteered in the local ER room and one of the nurses there said he would "rather be racking manure" than being a nurse. He wanted me to watch a person getting their catheter in (I chose to decline). He told me not to do it. Yet, I still chose the nursing route after hearing that. Some people like nursing, others do not.

After seeing nursing in some other settings, they don't do that at all. CNAs often do, however. If that's all you think about nursing though, maybe nursing isn't for you and choose a different career path. IMO, most patients can go to the bathroom themselves and should be allowed to. You clean gurneys in ER as a volunteer, but they are mostly clean anyways.

Most of the OP's post is from people who hate nursing and a common misconception. "Clean up poo and pee all day." If that is all they do, then it would be minimum wage like CNA's and no need to go to school. Also, nurses can always get MSNs and specialty care like NPs which definitely don't do that. They can diagnose like doctors, ect. I really don't like it when people say they're "glorified poop scoopers" or whatever... I think those roles go to janitors, those who change the sheets, mostly or technicians, cnas, ect. Do surgery nurses do that often? Not really.

:sniff:

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Specializes in Pedi.
IS the hard truth for most nurses definitely new grads is that poop cleaning and urine collection RN jobs are all that is open?

Pretty much bedside care, running around like a chicken with your head cutoff.

I don't think ICU solves the issue either.

Definitely thinking about different degree, since experience is the only way to open up other nursing positions, but I am not about to work bedside for 10 years. I would rather go back to school.

I have a couple of months of bedside experience so is there anything else I can do besides bedside care? If not I have no choice to move on.

There is no way I can pursue marriage a family by bringing home income this way. Just not going to happen.

What, pray tell, is a "poop cleaning and urine collection RN job"? Do you work on a C-Diff unit where your only function is to send stool samples all day long? Or do you work in a poop bank where people donate stool samples to be used for fecal transplants? If not then I'm going to go out on a limb and say that this is a horribly inaccurate description of your job.

With only a couple months of bedside experience you will likely not be considered qualified for non-bedside jobs.

I don't understand at all what you mean by "There's no way I can pursue a marriage and family by bringing home income this way." WHAT? Plenty of bedside nurses are married with families, it is clearly possible to do.

There's a book I know of that I think may help you. It's called "Everyone Poops" by Taro Gomi. $4.99 on Amazon.com.

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Haven't done it because I'm often busy with other things and I strongly believe in encouraging my patients to do the most they can for themselves.

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Specializes in MDS/ UR.

Buy some lotto tickets and wish really hard.

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I'd be looking at qualifications in public health if I was you. Wipe the butts to get you through grad school and then get the hell out. Good luck to you. I think more nurses should look for work that suits their interests and aptitudes rather than just chaining themselves to the bedside forever.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
There is no way I can pursue marriage a family by bringing home income this way. Just not going to happen.
A smart person is one who realizes early on that a certain career path is simply not going to work out for one's personal preferences.

If you know in your heart that you cannot pursue marriage / start a family while earning a living as a bedside nurse, it is best to cut your losses and find another career that meets your needs.

Good luck to you.

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Of course there are other jobs as a nurse. A nurse educator or consultant or medical-equipment device demonstrator... a manager of a nursing home unit (you think bedside nursing is bad... ohhh it is.... but ohhh is this much much scarier) owner/administrator of a group home, paper-shuffler at family care, community care, or t-19 places, wellness nurse (i can't wait to start, it will be my next position after a coworker's maternity leave is up), occupational health, hospice nurse (yes there is still wiping butts, but everything is more gentle and with dignity). Isn't it common to work three 12 hour shifts at hospitals and call it a week? That's not so bad. This is America, land of the free slaves. Free to work ourselves to death anywhere. Life is short, but as a geriatrics nurse I have been able to understand the whole spectrum of it. The stories of grandparents who were born in the late 1800s, the stories of great-great-grandchildren born in the early 2000s, everything in between. Each person is a unique person, a unique life lived, a unique set of circumstances and cards they were dealt, and a unique spirit that decided the fate of those cards. Each person holds a history like no other. I think you need to be a "human" type person to be a nurse. You have to care about people's spirits as much as the bodies which holds their spirits. I don't think any other education or degree or job could be quite so comprehensive as the nurses job. But it's all what you make it to be, and it's all about the history you want to create in your life. Best of luck to you

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