What nursing task do you loathe???

[richardgecko]

Just realized today that I can't stand ostomy appliances. It's not the poop, it's just cutting and sizing the appliance and that messy paste. Tedious and irritating but somebody's gotta do it.

How about you?

[mariebailey, MSN, RN]

I loathe the responsibilities that are delegated to nurses that do not require a nursing license to be carried out:

-ordering jello or whatever else a patient suddenly craves when you have a million other things to do

-administrative work for another employee, like making copies, printing labs, etc. when they are perfectly capable of doing it themselves

-answering the phone/call buttons while the nurse techs sit on their behind watching

-putting in maintenance requests

It's not that I think I'm above doing these tasks, but sometimes you're just to busy to deal with the "just let the staff nurse do it" kind of attitude.

[Glycerine82, LPN]

anything that has to do with infestations of any kind. Can't. do. it.

[pixiestudent2]

anything that has to do with infestations of any kind. Can't. do. it.

Ew, omg.

That'd would have to be the day I quit.

I had nightmares after learning about pin worms in micro biology.

I'm freaking out and itching now..

[No Stars In My Eyes]

I loathe the responsibilities that are delegated to nurses that do not require a nursing license to be carried out:

-ordering jello or whatever else a patient suddenly craves when you have a million other things to do

-administrative work for another employee, like making copies, printing labs, etc. when they are perfectly capable of doing it themselves

-answering the phone/call buttons while the nurse techs sit on their behind watching

-putting in maintenance requests

It's not that I think I'm above doing these tasks, but sometimes you're just to busy to deal with the "just let the staff nurse do it" kind of attitude.

These are all the things a Unit Secretary or Ward Clerk used to take care of so the nurses could be doing their own jobs.

A BIG loss, because a good ward clerk really helped the floor to HUM, remember?

[joanna73, BSN, RN]

Ugh that's why I hate cutting toenails or fingernails. You never know where they've been or what's underneath!

[CaffeinePOQ4HPRN, BSN, MSN, LPN, RN]

Round-the-clock changing of incontinent briefs (aka adult diapers) for fecal and/or urinary incontinence. I have adapted to loathe it less since I work in gerontology (note: not by choice); and, I accept that it is part-and-parcel to the aging process...but I wouldn't mind it so much if the patients who are incontinent of urine/feces (but usually both) didn't all weight ≥ 200lbs, and be physically violent r/t dementia whose POA do not believe in medication to address their behavioral issues r/t to dementia. It makes providing basic hygiene feel like a strongman competition... Flipping tires vs. rolling fatties who also want to fight you/anyone in the room.

[JustKeepSmiling, ADN, BSN, RN]

Adding to my last post--when you take off a patient's socks and you see all of their flakes of skin dispersing through the air. i feel like I'm breathing it in and its getting in my hair, on my scrubs, etc...yuck!!!

ROFL!!!!!! Last time I did this on a medsurg new admit a roll of $1s fell out with the flakes!! HAHAHA!!

[JustKeepSmiling, ADN, BSN, RN]

I loathe cleaning GI bleed poop. The SMELL. 😮

I hate checking TF residuals. Its warm, came out of a stomach. Gross.

I hate traveling with a vent patient with 6 gtts, CVP and a line setup who doesn't tolerate position changes well.

I hate fussing at my balloon pump patient not to flex at their hip. I feel so gumpy doing it.

I don't mind oral care or suctioning. The cleaner my patient the happier I am. Can't stand patients with oily nasty smelling hair. I'll make time to wash their hair if I can!!

[dah doh, BSN, RN]

mmm...leech therapy!!! I'm not fond of maggots either!

[TheGooch]

Deal!

Heck, some puke is still edible and nutritious! (just ask your dog or cat)

They also eat poop.

[VANurse2010]

Ew, omg.

That'd would have to be the day I quit.

I had nightmares after learning about pin worms in micro biology.

I'm freaking out and itching now..

In addition to the usual lice, I once saw a patient with her hair infested with roaches.

[Anna S, RN]

Making put-on, and take-off packs (bundles of needles, syringes, gauze, tape torn just-so, etc.) for dialysis pts. It's so boring, just busy work and a waste of my time.