We've reached that point in our Nursing Competencies class where we learn how to perform some of the most intimate procedures known to man, more commonly identified as personal hygiene.
I'll admit, I approached this part of my education with trepidation. I was concerned with my potential reaction to mouth care, bed baths, and body fluids in general.
So far, talking about potential "situations" and looking at slides of things like stage 4 decubitus ulcers and scabes was much harder for me than, say, performing perineal care on the mannequin. I'm just hoping that I'm able to keep my cool once I actually encounter my first incidence of fecal incontinence live and in person.
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I'm like the little engine that could -- nursing school style.
1 comment:
icky... I am definitely not a fan of poop. especially adult poop. I don't think I remember my first encounter with fecal incontinance, but I do remember the WORST one... I was on Trauma Call in the ER and at like 4am the resident grabbed me to help her suture this HUGE head laceration on this man who rolled his SUV (and when I say HUGE, I mean it -- I think it was like a 23 cm laceration -- you could literally pull this man's entire scalp up like a flap and look underneath at his skull!) Since this was a huge laceration to stich, and was probably pretty painful, we had the patient pretty heavily sedated. And because the laceration was huge, and very dirty, as it was caused by a car, it took probably an hour and a half to clean and suture, with us crunched over his head in a tiny ER room the entire time. And because the patient was very sedated, when he had to go number 2, well, he did it right there in the bed, probably about 15 minutes into the whole ordeal. I don't know about you, but sewing someone's scalp together at four in the morning when you're exhausted and in a cramped and stinky room isn't exactly vacation material... well, actually, I'll have to admit, I did find the laceration pretty cool at first, because I'm a huge nerd. :) And what was even more amazing, is that this man, other than his giant cut, was totally unhurt after he rolled his SUV on the freeway! He definitely had a guardian angel looking after him. And I'm glad he probably doesn't remember the whole ordeal, because can you imagine how freaky it would be to have such a huge cut on your head and to be shaken up after a really big accident, and then on top of that, how embarrasing it would be to have soiled your bed? yeah, I can't even imagine.
Oh and after we were done, I watched the nurses change the bedsheets and they did it the coolest way -- they rolled him over one way, and then the other, and took off the dirty sheets and had a special way to put on a new sheet -- it was amazing how nothing else got dirty and everything was clean in a matter of like 5 mintues!
anyways, I've really been enjoying reading your blog, Robin! I hope you keep updating it!
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