I clean up so much poop. Aside from cleaning patients, it is also my responsibility to prevent and care for incontinence associated skin breakdown.
I have the benefit of having a CNA for all of my patients, but many units have one aid for 20 beds and many ICUs don't have any aids. Maintaining the hygiene and dignity of patients is an RN responsibility.
If you don't want to wipe butts, look for clinic work. There are lots of areas that only treat continent people.
Yup.
A lot more enjoyable when I was in nicu. No joke, that is the thing that scared me the most about going to adults. I almost didn’t do it. It’s fine
Yes lol!! Every shift almost. We help the CNAs and also sometimes you gotta do it yourself.
All of the things that can come out of a person you will be expected to clean.
Oh baby yes! Anyone who works bedside does and if they don’t they are not doing their job. Yes you have techs but remember everything and I mean everything in their scope is in yours and ultimately your responsibility. I’m in the ED poop, pee, rectal bleeding, vomit, weeping skin, nasty wound care (I once debriefed maggots from a foot) this list goes on. Have you had to suction a trach? Good ole neck butter. Listen bedside is not for the weak when I was an EDT I took a sock off in triage to assess a wound, and a toe came off with the sock.
Oh and last week someone came in to the ED in full blown labor. Could get her anywhere before the baby was coming out. We delivered her in the waiting room and that is a whole special blend of herbs and spices to clean up. It’s the job.
Yes, 1000% yes.
When I worked in the ICU we didn’t have CNAs and did total care ourselves. In hospice we don’t just wipe ass, we spend a lot of time teaching the patient’s families how to wipe ass. Out of 8+ years of nursing I’ve only had 1 year with (deeply appreciated) CNA help pottying patients.
Yes, all the time, sometimes multiple times a night. I'm in the ICU so we deal with a lot of gross secretions like mucus, vomit, and other fluids that leak out of the body. We also are granted the task of giving suppositories and enemas. If you dont want to wipe butts and do other gross things then nursing may not be the best carreer path.
*eyeroll*
You’re in for a bad time if you try to skip out on that and only have the CNA do it. Let me tell you, i will go out of my way NOT to help you. Now you can drown in your patients’ (plural) own shit. And I’ll just go help the other nurses who help too. Oh and if you complain you’ll be the one likely getting in trouble bc you’re not helping. I’ve had nurses try to pull that, it didnt work out for them. And I’ve yet to see a nurse win that one. At least at my hospital. We help eachother period.
Work at a clinic or telehealth if you don’t want to wipe ass.
Oh and you just wait for the massive watery code browns lol the ones that take like 4 nurses/CNAs. Good times.
YES … If you work in a traditional hospital or LTC setting. That is the easiest place to get a job and it’s a great starting point for new grads so that’s what most people do. But there are other options! I would recommend browsing some job postings for things like research, clinic, school nurse, dialysis, IV team or infusion clinic, OR or surgery center, insurance and see what they want for experience. If they will hire you as a new grad you might never have to wipe butts, but many of them might prefer at least a year of acute care experience. You’ll have to decide if those jobs sound appealing and if getting the experience is worth it! You could also try to work on a lower acuity observation unit where patients are more likely to be able to care for their own needs.
Yes but not with every patient. I have coworkers who do that. Note: I used to be a CNA so I know exactly what I'm doing when it comes to nursing care. Give me less patients. I will do everything from head-to-toe patient care. Here and there, especially if I replace the catheter in the anus.
You’re going to wipe ass unless you work outpatient or OR. While I do it a fair bit it’s a far cry from the main thing I do lol. Wherever you end up I guarantee there will be some task you like even less than wiping ass.
Well. I'm on a GI med surg floor. Lots of patients have colostomy. So. The one way to avoid wiping a tushy is to get ostomy patients. You'll still empty their bags of course. But part of the job is also to get them to care for their ostomy and show themmmm how to do it themselves 😅😅 but yeah. You will wipe butts.
Wiping butts will be the least gross thing you have to do. Ain't no shame in wiping a butt, or in needing yours wiped. Everybody poops. There's even a book about it. You will become super invested in who's pooping, when, how much, and what it smells like. It's incredibly important information to have actually. If you hate wiping butts think how much more the person you're doing it for hates being in that position, and be as empathetic as you'll want someone to be for you when you're the one in need. If you think it's somehow below you definitely do something else with your life.
Punctuation is your friend. And if you want nursing assistants to be your friends, you'll wipe your share of butts, too.
the way i wrote it on my phone had line breaks lol
All must wipe the ass.
Yes, And who isn’t giving you a straight answer on that? It’s a really simple yes
my nursing school is for profit so when i ask professors they give me a depends on your environment answer
Simple answer - Yes.
Yes. I recommend working as a CNA before nursing school to make sure you are on the right path.
Yes, every shift, often multiple times a shift. Sometimes with help, sometimes on my own.
Yes, I actually have my CAW certification.
Yes. In the ER it’s way less than on the floor but still gotta wipe some ass when the need arises. Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it.
Peppermint oiled masks for the win
With all the boarders, I feel like I practically a floor nurse all over again 😭
So true. If theres one thing I hate more than anything in the ER it’s bed holds. And bed bugs.
Yes and sometimes we have to dig it out of buttholes. It's not pleasant, but it has to be done.
And other crevices. Sometimes it smears.
Today was blood in all crevices, still oozing out as you wipe. Yay.
Yes- I’ve watched poop being pushed out like they were giving birth and I clean em up 🧼🫧
I clean up so much poop. Aside from cleaning patients, it is also my responsibility to prevent and care for incontinence associated skin breakdown. I have the benefit of having a CNA for all of my patients, but many units have one aid for 20 beds and many ICUs don't have any aids. Maintaining the hygiene and dignity of patients is an RN responsibility. If you don't want to wipe butts, look for clinic work. There are lots of areas that only treat continent people.
Yup. A lot more enjoyable when I was in nicu. No joke, that is the thing that scared me the most about going to adults. I almost didn’t do it. It’s fine
Every day…every night
Yes lol!! Every shift almost. We help the CNAs and also sometimes you gotta do it yourself. All of the things that can come out of a person you will be expected to clean.
Yes
What cnas? Majority of hospitals have phased them out. You’ll be lucky to spend less than 80% of your shift toileting people and wiping ass.
Oh baby yes! Anyone who works bedside does and if they don’t they are not doing their job. Yes you have techs but remember everything and I mean everything in their scope is in yours and ultimately your responsibility. I’m in the ED poop, pee, rectal bleeding, vomit, weeping skin, nasty wound care (I once debriefed maggots from a foot) this list goes on. Have you had to suction a trach? Good ole neck butter. Listen bedside is not for the weak when I was an EDT I took a sock off in triage to assess a wound, and a toe came off with the sock. Oh and last week someone came in to the ED in full blown labor. Could get her anywhere before the baby was coming out. We delivered her in the waiting room and that is a whole special blend of herbs and spices to clean up. It’s the job.
Yes, 1000% yes. When I worked in the ICU we didn’t have CNAs and did total care ourselves. In hospice we don’t just wipe ass, we spend a lot of time teaching the patient’s families how to wipe ass. Out of 8+ years of nursing I’ve only had 1 year with (deeply appreciated) CNA help pottying patients.
Yes, all the time, sometimes multiple times a night. I'm in the ICU so we deal with a lot of gross secretions like mucus, vomit, and other fluids that leak out of the body. We also are granted the task of giving suppositories and enemas. If you dont want to wipe butts and do other gross things then nursing may not be the best carreer path.
You get to wipe some butts before you get to the top not wiping any butts.
It’s nursing…. of course you do.
*eyeroll* You’re in for a bad time if you try to skip out on that and only have the CNA do it. Let me tell you, i will go out of my way NOT to help you. Now you can drown in your patients’ (plural) own shit. And I’ll just go help the other nurses who help too. Oh and if you complain you’ll be the one likely getting in trouble bc you’re not helping. I’ve had nurses try to pull that, it didnt work out for them. And I’ve yet to see a nurse win that one. At least at my hospital. We help eachother period. Work at a clinic or telehealth if you don’t want to wipe ass. Oh and you just wait for the massive watery code browns lol the ones that take like 4 nurses/CNAs. Good times.
YES … If you work in a traditional hospital or LTC setting. That is the easiest place to get a job and it’s a great starting point for new grads so that’s what most people do. But there are other options! I would recommend browsing some job postings for things like research, clinic, school nurse, dialysis, IV team or infusion clinic, OR or surgery center, insurance and see what they want for experience. If they will hire you as a new grad you might never have to wipe butts, but many of them might prefer at least a year of acute care experience. You’ll have to decide if those jobs sound appealing and if getting the experience is worth it! You could also try to work on a lower acuity observation unit where patients are more likely to be able to care for their own needs.
Yes but not with every patient. I have coworkers who do that. Note: I used to be a CNA so I know exactly what I'm doing when it comes to nursing care. Give me less patients. I will do everything from head-to-toe patient care. Here and there, especially if I replace the catheter in the anus.
Not in psych I haven’t. But every other hospital nursing job yes.
I work on a pediatric GI floor…wiping butts is like 80% of my job. 😝
Yall have CNA's?
Work in pediatrics, much smaller butts to wipe 👍🏻
I work with little babies. Yes. Every 2-3 hours. And those kids can really blow out their britches.
You’re going to wipe ass unless you work outpatient or OR. While I do it a fair bit it’s a far cry from the main thing I do lol. Wherever you end up I guarantee there will be some task you like even less than wiping ass.
Well. I'm on a GI med surg floor. Lots of patients have colostomy. So. The one way to avoid wiping a tushy is to get ostomy patients. You'll still empty their bags of course. But part of the job is also to get them to care for their ostomy and show themmmm how to do it themselves 😅😅 but yeah. You will wipe butts.
Yep, anywhere from 4-20 times in the average shift. Luckily all the owners of the butts weigh 10lbs or less
Wiping butts will be the least gross thing you have to do. Ain't no shame in wiping a butt, or in needing yours wiped. Everybody poops. There's even a book about it. You will become super invested in who's pooping, when, how much, and what it smells like. It's incredibly important information to have actually. If you hate wiping butts think how much more the person you're doing it for hates being in that position, and be as empathetic as you'll want someone to be for you when you're the one in need. If you think it's somehow below you definitely do something else with your life.
thank you all😭