Things you wish you knew before you entered nursing

[reformedlibrarian]

This post is inspired by the post on poop. Many of you said the original poster may want to look for a new profession!

Will a Nurse with a RN do much of the "dirty" work, such as changing diapers, bedpans, etc ... or is that more something the CNAs and LPNs do?

Has anyone on this board been squeemish about poop and blood, and made it past that to be a fantastic nurse who enjoyed their job?

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

I'm an LVN, but I recently had an overnight hospital stay last month. All of my primary nurses were RNs. During the night shift, this hospital employed no CNAs or techs to help with patient care. Therefore, the RNs who worked night shift were responsible for basic nursing duties such as toileting patients, cleaning poopy butts, emptying urine bags, placing patients on bedpans, changing the diapers of incontinent patients, and so forth.

Sorry, but all levels of bedside nursing (CNA, LPN, RN) are involved in "dirty work." However, it becomes easier with the passage of time.

[TangoLima]

I'm an RN, and I'm not so much scared of poop as I am just not comfortable with the process of cleaning up a patient in bed. It is HARD, and I just feel like I'm all thumbs at it.

I do, however, HELP my ACP with the cleanup and they really appreciate the help. I was just straight up with my ACP the other night and told her that I just don't have much experience with it, and I needed help. I am, however, learning from my ACPs how to do it properly.

I do, however, empty Foley bags, put patients on bedpans, take blood sugars or vitals if the ACP can't. I think they see that I am a team player, and in turn, they are more likely to help with my patients and comply with my requests. I treat them with respect, and they respect me in return.

[atomRN]

Poop and pee are no problem for me. For me, the worst of the worst is trying to put in an IV line on a patient who has no veins whatsoever. All the old pros tell me that after 500 trys I will be good. I have about 450 more to go!

[Valerie Salva, BSN, RN]

For me, the BM, urine, puss, smells, etc are the easy parts of nursing.

The hard parts are work loads that are too heavy, unrealistic expectations of mgmt, pandering to pts and families as "clients" and just plain running my butt off day in and day out with no let-up in the pace.

[A_Simp]

I'm ok with urine and stool but vomit - that's another matter!