Want to be a nurse, just no butt wiping or other yucky stuff please

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Just a heads up to inquiring people who read this site. Nursing involves butt wiping, blood, snot, urine, etc. An RN by your name doesn't mean others deal with yucky realities of patient care.

Also, you will likely have to pay your dues job wise. You probably won't waltz into your dream job straight out of school. And, whatever job you get, you WILL work your rear end off.

How come you can want to be a nurse but "HAVE" to do "the dirty work" to be one? Guess what, there are plenty of RN jobs that do not require butt wiping. Not wanting a job that requires you to wipe someone else's butt or clean their fat folds is perfectly ok! You should not be made to feel guilty for not wanting to do something so disgusting. Does someone have to do it? Yes. People need to be cared for and have their butts wiped and fat folds cleaned, but if you don't want to, don't get a job that requires it.

Agree, there is nothing wrong with wanting or choosing to work in non patient care nursing roles, but I really hope you're not a nurse.

If you don't understand why, well then that only reinforces why you shouldn't be.

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Lollll

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
He isn't. Trust me.

Yes, I continued reading and am red with embarrassment for feeding it.

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Funny while I was considering school everyone (probably not nurses) said RN's don't do that stuff. Hahaha. I believed them only to find they were all wrong.

What I didn't expect was that as gross as it sounds, it's very satisfying to help someone with such a basic need. My first job was at a nursing home, the CNA's were SO busy that I would always toilet people because who wants to sit in their own crap? Someone needs a new diaper? I'll help, I know I will do my best, probably throw in a whole bed bath and put the necessary creams on, etc. My most dreaded task has become one of the most satisfying and humbling.

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Funny while I was considering school everyone (probably not nurses) said RN's don't do that stuff. Hahaha. I believed them only to find they were all wrong.

What I didn't expect was that as gross as it sounds, it's very satisfying to help someone with such a basic need. My first job was at a nursing home, the CNA's were SO busy that I would always toilet people because who wants to sit in their own crap? Someone needs a new diaper? I'll help, I know I will do my best, probably throw in a whole bed bath and put the necessary creams on, etc. My most dreaded task has become one of the most satisfying and humbling.

Agree 100%. A good way to put it. At the end of the day, that is someone's mother, daughter, son, best friend, etc. If you don't want to provide patient care, that is perfectly fine. As we all know on this board there isn't a nursing shortage and I'm sure there is some yahoo.com article with the "top 10 fastest growing fields" you can refer to if you don't want to be a nurse!

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Lollll

"To watch feminists argue with each other".

Hmmm. Wonder what our decidely male contributors have to say on that subject? ;)

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Yes, I continued reading and am red with embarrassment for feeding it.

I wouldn't sweat it. He doesn't require much online feeding ;)

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How come you can want to be a nurse but "HAVE" to do "the dirty work" to be one? Guess what, there are plenty of RN jobs that do not require butt wiping. Not wanting a job that requires you to wipe someone else's butt or clean their fat folds is perfectly ok! You should not be made to feel guilty for not wanting to do something so disgusting. Does someone have to do it? Yes. People need to be cared for and have their butts wiped and fat folds cleaned, but if you don't want to, don't get a job that requires it.

I have no problem with nurses who don't want to do this (ok, who WANTS to, REALLY WANTS to, clean incontinent patients? It's not like it was anyone's dream job from childhood!).

But the problem comes in when someone like the OP, who DOES work in a setting requiring such care, then flips out about having to do it! I wouldn't dismiss someone because he/she wasn't a fan of feces (ha!) but I do dismiss those who TAKE such a job and then complain bitterly that....yes, there it is...they have to DO the job they themselves signed up for.

I would hold off on the "doing something so disgusting" commentary, though, as there are those who do take pride in a Patient Well-Cleaned and don't find it disgusting, just another nursing task. No one should be made to feel that the job they do, with pride, is....disgusting. The person that takes that pride also knows that the patient they have just cleaned has a daughter, son, husband, wife, etc who is thankful that their loved one is receiving good care. Just my two cents.

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Specializes in ICU, ER, PACU.

Service is service. That's what nursing, social work, teaching and any human interacting career is all about. SERVICE. I haven't even been an RN for five years yet, but working in multiple areas already has got me exhausted! I may be over the physical demand and long hours nursing has to offer, but that doesn't take away from the fact that the job must be done. Unfortunately, you don't know how a career really is until you experience it for yourself. The key is to be truly honest with yourself about what you want to do.

The issue lies our focus when choosing a major in college. What is the motive? Most people based on life positions (single parent homes, student debt, family responsibilities and the like) will choose a path due to financial security. Who doesn't want that? It's a reasonable goal in choosing a career. When you have an 18 year old freshman who has been birthed into this "make-my-own-decisions-to-set-up-my-future" society, majority of that population don't really discover who they are until years later (emphasis on majority, as some young adults/adults have taken the time to truly know themselves in and out to discover their true passion/calling). So, it's easy to understand why flashing headlines like "Wanna change lives? Become an RN" or "Nursing is in high demand...make up to $45/hr and have a REAL CAREER" are so appealing to many students. It's a "quick" way to get into the medical field, and nurses are "respected" all the time. This is the reality.

We need to start in the school systems and help students at a young age shape their passions while showing them practical ways to apply them and make money. I understand that there are people in place to do that (guidance counselors, etc), but maybe more needs to be done. I don't know.

I'm just passionate about people finding their calling within themselves based on what they are good at and enhancing them.

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I am a patient sitter, something to help pay the bills while in graduate school. When I sit in a patient's room I have no problem doing whatever it takes to make that patient comfortable. For me it is a combination of wanting to help the patient in an embarrassing situation and also to help OVERWHELMED NA's and RN's. Caring for patients is a community effort, I am glad to be able to assist.

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I love this subject. Ive been a tech for years just starting program in may hopefully!, and I do solemnly swear to help techs without thinking its a "tech's" job. There are way too many "that's not my patient or that's not my job in nursing. I think definition of nursing should be taking care of ANY patient needs.

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On my Instagram account the other day, a girl was talking about how there was a huge nursing shortage all of the USA. She made of list of reasons to become a nurse that included 1. The demand for new grads 2. The "boatloads" of money you make and 3. The fact that new grads can get hired into their specialities anywhere because of the shortage.

Instead of just minding my own business and moving along.... I made a comment. I should NOT have done that, lol!

I said- "There are only shortages of nurses in certain areas of the USA. Make sure to do your research first"

She responded to me- "Well I'm a Pre-Nursing student and from what I understand nurses are in high demand. That's all I ever see! So stop being negative and pleaseeeeee take a seat"

Yikes haha :) Taught me to never do that again!

I've posted this link before, and will do so again now, because it sooooo applies. Send her this:

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