What is the most disgusting part of being an RN?

Question

How nasty is some of the work.

Answer 1

Blood Blood blood, and touching sick people.

Answer 2

Well you get to see a lot of older people nude which is the nicest thing in the world. hehe. Also you will have to change the bandages on wounds, many different kinds. You will deal with a lot of p**p and urine, but most of the time the cnas do the really dirty work. You can take it, it's not so bad-and you get used to it all pretty quickly.

Answer 3

If that's your attitude, forget about nursing.

Answer 4

I think as nurses all of us have our gaggable moments.  I've been exposed to tons of things in my 30+ yrs of nursing and you get to where the normal things - blood, f***s, vomit don't bother you. (at least my case - sure it isn't pleasant but it isnt a gagging moment, and it is rather something you just take in stride, or rather you learn to deal with in a number of ways).

My gagging moment comes with suctioning trachs - particularly when a person is on a ventilator.  For some reason that just really really makes me gag to the point of almost vomiting.  Always did too, even in nursing school.   Haven't really done many of those since leaving the ICU, so since I'm no longer around trachs/ventilators, it isn't much of a problem to me now-a - days.

Answer 5

Having to deal with poopies or vomit. I can handle all the other stuff.  

Answer 6

HAVING TO INSPECT DIRTY INFECTED FEMALE CROTCHES OR HAVING TO DEAL WITH CERTAIN PATIENTS BEHAVIORS WHICH CAN BE WORSE THEN ANY NASTY INFECTION THAT IS WHY I NEVER COMPLETED THE SCHOOLING ALSO THE CNA AND LPN DO MOST OF THE BATHING, CHANGING, AND CLEANING OF f***s

Answer 7

Definitely a Code Brown. Explosive diarrhea on a bed-ridden patient.

NO nurses enjoy f***s and vomit. You can't let that stop you if you really want to be a nurse. Cleaning up messes is such as SMALL part of your job as a nurse, and honestly, often times it is the assistive personel (CNAs, PCAs, LPNs) which are assigned these tasks if the RNs are too busy. But don't expect to become an RN and never have to do any of this kind of gross work. You just have to suck it up and do it, that's why you're a professional.

I still have days where a smell will get to me and I'll start to gag, and when it happens I politely excuse myself from the room and get someone else to help me until the feeling passes. Or you can use some Vicks VapoRub under your nose while you clean up to avoid the smell as well.

There are some areas in nursing where you would never have to clean up f***s or vomit except on a rare occassion. You just have to find the right fit for you. But if you have the attitude that "I don't want to do this ever", you shouldn't be a nurse.