Current Events > I wipe asses for a living. Ask me anything.

(+) Yeah! (+)

I'm a nursing student right now in my last year of the RN program. But in order to work through school; I also work at a Nurse Tech otherwise known as a CNA or Nursing Assistant. Its a rough job. You bust your ass on 12 hour shifts. You help people get dressed, shave, brush their teeth/hygiene, shower and bathe, transfer from their bed/wheelchair/toilet/etc (some of them are dead weight). For those that are incontinent, you have to change their diapers. Sometimes they puke on themselves and you have to change their bedding and clothes. Sometimes you got folks that are continent but don't have the mobility to wipe their own ass or apply hemorrhoid cream. That's where you come in to play. You measure their intake and output monitoring their meals and fluids. You are constantly emptying out bedpans, bedside commodes, urinals, and cathers; all while measuring piss while you are at it. You are the patient's waiter, fetching them ice and water/snacks. You help them get comfortable in the bed and arrange their belongings. You get weights. All while doing all this you are assigned 11-15 patients with call lights going off the wazoo. ANd of course, you have to chart on the computer everything you do. And all this for mere bank teller's wages (10-13$ depending where you work).

But you know what, you get a chance to be there for people when they are at their worst and most vulnerable. And the appreciation they have for you and the way they light up just from simple signs of compassion such as a smile and touch of the shoulder; it can make the job very rewarding. There's no way in hell what I do is worth it as a career, not at these wages anyways. But I do it because I know its just a step to get me where I need to go and that is RN. These tasks wont go away when I become an RN btw. But the nature of the job will be shifted with me doing more complex tasks. And my pay will go up considerably and will be worth it. So ask me anything.
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Respect
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Is it gross wiping the asses of old people?
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If you find any peanuts, are they fair game to eat?
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Do you ever have to help attractive patients get dressed and such? How do you honestly feel about that? I know there are doctors/nurses out there that do unspeakable things to unconscious patients, which is terrible.

Sativa_Rose posted...

Is it gross wiping the asses of old people?

Yes lol. But you get used to it. I wont ever pretend like it becomes pleasant. But the 100th ass is a lot easier to stomach than the 1st ass. You just become desensitized over time. Cleaning up folks who pissed themselves is easy. Small solid poop is intermediate. What i struggle with is cleaning ppl wiht explosive liquidy diarreah. THats hard. Especially if they are actively going. Oh and emptying colostomy bags is no picnic either.
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Super Slash posted...

Do you ever have to help attractive patients get dressed and such? How do you honestly feel about that? I know there are doctors/nurses out there that do unspeakable things to unconscious patients, which is terrible.

I work in a rehab place so most of our patients is older. So there is no attraction. I look at these folks like I would my grandparents. That goes for most of the staff. However occasionally you will see a younger patient. But I just handle it as professionally as I can. I mentally remove sexuality from the situation and view us as simple human beings all with anatomy. And in that context and role, I am there to assist them not hit on them.

There was this one lady I got though as a patient, early 30s. I felt so sorry for her. She was a very beautiful woman and very sweet, kind, and positive; despite her circumstances. But she was totally paralyzed neck down, incontinent of bowel, suprapubic catheter for urinary. And she was the mother of a small child with the father not in the picture. ANd she was in this state due to a motor vehicle accident she got driving home from her job one night very tired. Tragic yet she was very positive and personable.

So if you want to know how I feel about it when they are there in front of me naked with me helping them get dress or even cleaning them up from soiling themselves. Sexual attraction is the least thing on my mind. I just view them as human beings with anatomy like the rest of us and my heart goes out to them for what they are dealing with.
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Cheko2015 posted...

Super Slash posted...

Do you ever have to help attractive patients get dressed and such? How do you honestly feel about that? I know there are doctors/nurses out there that do unspeakable things to unconscious patients, which is terrible.

I work in a rehab place so most of our patients is older. So there is no attraction. I look at these folks like I would my grandparents. That goes for most of the staff. However occasionally you will see a younger patient. But I just handle it as professionally as I can. I mentally remove sexuality from the situation and view us as simple human beings all with anatomy. And in that context and role, I am there to assist them not hit on them.

There was this one lady I got though as a patient, early 30s. I felt so sorry for her. She was a very beautiful woman and very sweet, kind, and positive; despite her circumstances. But she was totally paralyzed neck down, incontinent of bowel, suprapubic catheter for urinary. And she was the mother of a small child with the father not in the picture. ANd she was in this state due to a motor vehicle accident she got driving home from her job one night very tired. Tragic yet she was very positive and personable.

So if you want to know how I feel about it when they are there in front of me naked with me helping them get dress or even cleaning them up from soiling themselves. Sexual attraction is the least thing on my mind. I just view them as human beings with anatomy like the rest of us and my heart goes out to them for what they are dealing with.

Bravo. You're a good dude. =D

Fine, just skip over my question entirely.
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I got a job for you.
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I took a CNA course, got my clinicals done, and got certified.

Never actually got a job from it.

Kudos to you, I couldn't do it.
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Super Slash posted...

Bravo. You're a good dude. =D

Appreciate it. Try to be anyways lol.

DrizztLink posted...

I took a CNA course, got my clinicals done, and got certified.

Never actually got a job from it.

Kudos to you, I couldn't do it.

Oh dang, what made you decide not to follow through? The amount of work and gross factor? And what led you to doing the CNA course to begin with?

Im not gonna lie though, I didn't start this journey with the intentions of being a CNA. As I already said, I don't think its worth it especially in the long term. I started this journey with the aims of being an RN. The CNA for me was a stepping stone and means to an end.
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See, peanuts aren't digestible if swallowed hole, therefore peanuts can come out in your shit in tact.

That's why it's funny.
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MabusIncarnate posted...

Fine, just skip over my question entirely.

lol fine Ill bite. No they aren't fair game. With that being said, if the patients refuse their meal tray; those are fair game to eat. Also if a tray is made for a patient that is discharged or sent to the main hospital, those are fair game as well. Otherwise they will just end up in the trash. But good luck finding the time to enjoy it lol.
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Cheko2015 posted...

MabusIncarnate posted...

Fine, just skip over my question entirely.

lol fine Ill bite. No they aren't fair game. With that being said, if the patients refuse their meal tray; those are fair game to eat. Also if a tray is made for a patient that is discharged or sent to the main hospital, those are fair game as well. Otherwise they will just end up in the trash. But good luck finding the time to enjoy it lol.

This was a much better answer than I anticipated.. Thank you!
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MabusIncarnate posted...

See, peanuts aren't digestible if swallowed hole, therefore peanuts can come out in your shit in tact.

That's why it's funny.

Corn too.... Colostomies depending where they are located can produce tons of undigested food with peas and all sorts of shit being in there.
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this shit is why i chose to be an EKG over a CNA

fuck CNA and fuck nursing
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great read one of the best topics on ce in a while
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Cheko2015 posted...

Oh dang, what made you decide not to follow through? The amount of work and gross factor? And what led you to doing the CNA course to begin with?

Almost exactly the same as you.

I was aiming for nursing school at the time, figured it'd be experience. At the very least having a cert would give my application a bump.

Didn't really want to be a CNA at all, especially considering that pay in my area would be roughly the same as working in a coffee shop.

This was about 5 or 6 years ago, switched gears and am going for Physical Therapy Assistant now.
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What level of abuse are you instructed not to tolerate?
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DrizztLink posted...

Almost exactly the same as you.

I was aiming for nursing school at the time, figured it'd be experience. At the very least having a cert would give my application a bump.

Didn't really want to be a CNA at all, especially considering that pay in my area would be roughly the same as working in a coffee shop.

Ah I feel ya. I guess the advantage I had was I was already in the nursing program when I got this job. I got hired right after 1st semester. And in my area and in my program, they don't make you get a formal CNA cert or do its course if you have done a semester of nursing school. And yeah the pay sucks for the work you do. Ive actually been thinking about applying for a Nurse Intern position due to it. Depending how far you are in the program, it pays different amounts. Where I'm at, I think they pay 16$ an hour though while you are in school. While it's still primarily CNA type work, you are allowed to practice nursing skills that would be outside a CNA's scope. So frustrating at my current job being told Im not allowed to do something after I've been checked off for it in clinicals and school.

DrizztLink posted...

This was about 5 or 6 years ago, switched gears and am going for Physical Therapy Assistant now.

Ah congrats. Again I work for a rehab hospital so I work with a lot of PTAs. Actually looks like a pretty cool profession to go into. Being the in the nursing department, I sometimes envy the rehab department.
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chollima posted...

What level of abuse are you instructed not to tolerate?

Most time there is not abuse. I think females have it worse then the guys like me. They have to deal with sexual harassment from the patients every now and then. Normally if there is an issue of abuse, they just swap the techs out. Ive taken over for a few patients because of their female techs being harassed. Never had the 1st problem with the patients as a male. I think if the abuse got to a certain level though, most techs would just report to the nursing supervisor and a solution would be thought of. I did have one old dude scream at me for cleaning his dentures after he bizarrely soaked them in coffee and dropped them on the floor. He was annoying but not very threatening. I just shrugged my shoulders, didnt take him seriously, and moved on.

With all that being said, no way in hell would I ever work at psychiatric facility. Those patients are crazy and will assault a nurse in a second if not intentionally throw their shit on them.
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Why the hell would you do this shitty job ??, fast food would be more pleasant.
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Offworlder1 posted...

Why the hell would you do this shitty job ??, fast food would be more pleasant.

Because I used to work in fast food and retail. I even worked as a janitor. And I spent my mid 20s as a college drop out working truly shit jobs getting shit pay with very little chance of advancement or full time positions. Often having to work multiple jobs at the same time. I was aimless, ambitionless, and lost in life. And my future was shit.

But as I said in OP, this "shitty job" is an ends to a means. Its going to get me where I want to go and thats being a highly paid RN with options and tons of room for advancement. And if I can handle this tech job, I know i can handle being an RN in terms of gross factor and hard work. And if bedside nursing gets old, I can keep going to school to become a nurse educator, nurse practitioner. or even nurse anesthetist. I gladly take my current position in life with a goal and future over what I had a few years ago. Its more than worth it in that light.

Also I get genuine satisfaction from patient interaction and helping people. Feel good about myself when I look in the mirror.
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Bedside nursing is not something I would pick as a job nor would I see it as a career, if this is what you want to do great but I would not want to care for the elderly as a job.
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Offworlder1 posted...

Bedside nursing is not something I would pick as a job nor would I see it as a career, if this is what you want to do great but I would not want to care for the elderly as a job.

Well there are a lot of niches and pathways within nursing. Its a pretty broad field. I mean you could work at a doctor's office. Ya don't like elderly? Try your luck with pediatrics. I've heard of nurses working for tech companies to help shape their user interface around healthcare needs. Stuff like that. You can also work as a case manager.You can do nursing administration. And again, you can keep going and get a master's eventually moving past bedside nursing.
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Well it sounds like your on the career path that is making you happy, thats what matters at the end of the day.
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Offworlder1 posted...

Well it sounds like your on the career path that is making you happy, thats what matters at the end of the day.

Yeah to each their own. I've discovered my own passion and am still developing it as I keep progressing. Again I like the patient interaction side of things. And I also like the science behind nursing. There is a lot of applied knowledge and critical thinking in the field. Take care and good luck with whatever u may have going on in your life.
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Cheko2015 posted...

I wipe asses for a living. Ask me anything.

What's it like being Trump advisor?
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I work armed security, very profittable, very fun, and something I enjoy doing.

Trying to get better range scores this week.
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How much more will you make once you become a RN?

JonnySeifer posted...

How much more will you make once you become a RN?

Right now I make 13$ an hour and that is due to my PRN bonus. Full time i would only make 11$ an hour. Starting wages for RNs depending where I work could be 21$-24$ an hour. Plus potential overtime and shift bonuses. As I specialize and maybe even relocate, that can go up to 25-30$ an hour. Esp if I move up to a charge, administrative, supervisor role. If I become a travel nurse, i can make 50$+ an hour plus some of my living expenses covered. If I keep going to school for my masters and and maybe even doctorate, I could see my income hit the 6 figure mark.
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What kind of shoes do you wear while on the job? You must rack up a lot of miles.
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