What nursing task do you loathe???

Nurses General Nursing

Published

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?

Ear lobes... that's a new one for me. I guess we all have our thing. I'll put in NG tubes for any of you guys, if you'll do my trach care and bathe my people.

Deal.

I'll also do ktwlpn's ear irrigations, but I don't think I can ever look at ear lobes the same way again.

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I hate trachs! Yuck yuck and yuck. Next would definitely be ostomies oh and giving lady partsl meds!.. everything else I can pretty much tolerate

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Emptying urinals....something about peeing in a bottle just grosses me out big time. And any sort of respiratory thing that involves gurgling and phlegm....uuugh I am shuddering just writing this. When I ask about sputum color and my pt says "here I will show you" (hoark....hoark)....it's like NOOOOoooo thanks!!!!

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Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro.
When I did a clinical rotation in CVICU, we had a lot of periorbital edema to the point that the eyes wouldn't shut and all you could do is put a moist gauze over it. Some nurses would tape them shut. Freaked me all the way out
.

Ever seen periorbital edema on someone after being prone 26 hours? :wideyed: It reminded me of those bubble-eyed goldfish.

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Specializes in ER, Med/Surg, Telemetry, Dialysis.

I had a patient ask me to pour out their cup for them...ok sure sir no problem....turns out it was a full cup of the loogies he'd been hawking up barffffffffffff..thats the closest I've ever come to losing my cookies in front of a patient. Loatheeee sputum and also that constant watery runny nose a lot of elderly seem to have. Also dentures of any sort, I close my eyes to handle them!

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Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro.
But when I am running around finding them snacks and pillows and then they pull a condescending, entitled attitude..

Why are you spending nursing time fetching snacks for able-bodied people? Give them directions to the caf, coffee shop, or vending machine. :sniff:

Obviously if the pt is dying more TLC is in order...but if their 19 y/o kid just had an appy? No. Just. No.

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I am on a kick right now so please bare with me.

I LOATHE nurses talking $h*t about CNAs. I LOATHE nurses and administrators acting as if the job of the aide is ignorant, monkey work. I LOATHE that they are still being called nursing assitance. Lets take a stand for our CO-WORKERS. Reform, reform, reform. Start 1st with title change. I like Patient Care Technician. Or maybe Nurse Technician. Opinions?

I'm not sure how a title change will make a difference... you'll still be doing the same thing and still will be viewed the same way by ignorant people.

What's wrong with being an assistant to the nurse? After all, what you are doing is actually the most basic of the nurse's job. CNA's save the facility money and free up the nurse for duties not just anyone can do. CNA's assist the nurse. No shame in that.

"Nurse Technician" is not a good term. Around here it is already reserved for nursing students working in a hospital setting. It is a special role for students. Also, "Nurse Technician" implies that the tech is a nurse... which they are not.

I've only ever saw one nurse treat the aides badly and she didn't last too long. Just for a visual, I still remember her stupid little pointy cap on her oddly small head, which was attached to an enormous pear-shaped body. She behaved as ridiculously as she looked. When she delegated, she'd throw a condescending smirk with a swift cock of her head and actually point to her cap!!! Anyway, I didn't let her make me feel like a monkey because the problem was her's-- not mine.

I will be bold enough to question if you exude a cocky or negative attitude that you are having such a hard time with the nurses. I seem to being seeing more and more ignorance on what the role of the CNA actually is. I hope they are stressing in CNA class that aides are actually doing part of the nurse's job and are expected to do that job with out having to be begged to do so... as with any job.

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Specializes in Medical-Surgial, Cardiac, Pediatrics.

Changing central line dressings. Or really, anything that requires sterile technique. I'm really clumsy, I'm not a Type A personality, so the tedious and specific focus that sterile technique requires really just irritates me mentally. Which is while I'll never work in the OR, haha.

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Specializes in Hospital medicine; NP precepting; staff education.
Deal.

I'll also do ktwlpn's ear irrigations, but I don't think I can ever look at ear lobes the same way again.

Did an AWESOME ear irrigation today. It was the muddiest I've had in a while.

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Specializes in Med nurse in med-surg., float, HH, and PDN.

Don't know what happened to the quote from HygieneQueen that I tried to post here.It was about the small-headed, pointy-capped, pear-shaped nurse who pointed directions with the tip of her pointy cap.

:roflmao:Bbbbwwwwaaaaahahahhhhaaaaaaaaaaaa!:roflmao:

I feel like I have worked with a clone of this nurse! Absolutely love your description!

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Did an AWESOME ear irrigation today. It was the muddiest I've had in a while.

What did you think of the ear lobes? Or were they your own?

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Specializes in Hospital medicine; NP precepting; staff education.
What did you think of the ear lobes? Or were they your own?

No, not my own. Old man ear lobes. Needed a trim. He was very appreciative. "I can actually hear now."

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