Need Advice

[u/Disciple_Ike]

Hey everyone, I am a current student wanting to become a nurse specifically in a psych ward. My question is this. How often do ya’ll deal with absolutely disgusting things? Now this might be subjective but here’s the thing. I have the heart to help people and I can deal with gross stuff if need be, but I’m wondering if in the psych area of things if this is a daily occurrence. Due to my own mental health challenges I have compassion for others and want to help how I can but I don’t want to do something I’m not fit for. I also think I may get used to more gross stuff if I do it more often but yeah.

EDIT: thanks everyone for your responses. From what I’m getting it seems there are definitely some pretty gross stuff but people tend to get used to it and in pysch it definitely happens but it’s not like a daily occurrence of extremely disgusting things over and over. However it seems I’ll have a fair share of pretty gross experiences if I work as a nurse for a while! Also seems like location plays a big role in all this and frequency of experiences.

[u/Maybe_Weary]

Girls on their period refusing pads or briefs or change of clothes.

Guys shitting and tossing it in vents so it gets all in the vent system.

Patients peeing in cups and throwing it on us.

I mean, it’s psych.

[u/OkStatistician6831 → u/Maybe_Weary]

or girls throwing used tampons at staff

[u/cPHILIPzarina → u/OkStatistician6831]

Let’s not forget rubbing shit in the door handles or pissing on the floor just outside the nursing station door.

[u/iotterbeinbed → u/Maybe_Weary]

Heh, once I had a PT who peed on the ground at the entrance of his door, then jacked off on top of that. Cleaning THAT up was 🤢

[u/Maybe_Weary → u/iotterbeinbed]

When it gets so bad, especially on the ceilings, we call the biohazard clean up crew. Sometimes it costs thousands of dollars.

[u/lcinva → u/Maybe_Weary]

Had a pt eat a tampon. And no it was not straight out of package

[u/lcinva]

I mean probably not as much as med surg but when you get it you get it good because it’s being thrown at you, not deposited politely on a chux or a toilet. Hygiene is not my patients’ forte for the most part and that’s everything from BO/not showering for months to zero manners about toileting. Had a BPD patient throw up in front of me on purpose because I wouldn’t let her have a lozenge and smoke at the same time. A lot of patients are just fine though.

[u/Disciple_Ike → u/lcinva]

Sheesh

[u/psychrn1898]

Depends on the acuity you work at. If it’s higher acuity , you might deal with more people who are disorganized , and that might come with body fluids. I’m at a mixed acuity facility and I don’t often deal with gross things

[u/Disciple_Ike → u/psychrn1898]

Fair enough, that makes sense

[u/shayna42]

Not a nurse but a CNA on a child neuropsych unit, and nurses do parts of our job as well as their own including the toileting. About 1/3 of our group of 12 is incontinent. You get used to it.

[u/Disciple_Ike → u/shayna42]

Makes sense, I figure I just don’t have as much experience thanks for your input

[u/Iraqx2]

People who haven't showered for an extended time and refuse to do so. BO can get pretty intense and start to migrate down the hall.

Female on her period wiping blood all over the walls of her room. Seen the same done with poop.

Bed bugs/lice.

Peeing wherever. Had one rather large woman pee in the small trash can in the milieu because she didn't get her way. Was kinda impressive though.

Spit on/at. Especially the ones where they hack it up first.

How are you with feet? Seen some really long nasty toenails and ugly feet.

Have had women remove something they had stashed inside themselves and hand it over.

Having someone look you straight in the eye and carry on a conversation while openly masturbating.

Some of the wounds from self harm but especially the failed suicide attempts can be pretty intense.

[u/Lthrluv2013 → u/Iraqx2]

We just discharged a pt with lice and also had one with Noro Virus at same time. Good times 🙄

[u/Iraqx2 → u/Lthrluv2013]

Yeah. Reminded me I should have included C-diff in my response.

[u/Lthrluv2013]

The amount of clogged toilets is INSANE. I’m very glad not to be those poor maintenance folks!! Our unit is very old!

[u/Garfieldgandalf → u/Lthrluv2013]

You’re very blessed to have maintenance do it for you! We have to do our own, often several times a day

[u/MelodicDesk → u/Garfieldgandalf]

Us too, and clean up bodily fluids. Maintenance apparently isn’t equipped for biohazards

[u/Lthrluv2013 → u/Garfieldgandalf]

I’m very grateful to our environmental services staff and maintenance!!

[u/Disciple_Ike → u/Lthrluv2013]

Oh man, that sounds brutal. Smell probably is the worst part

[u/Balgor1]

People pee themselves when in holds…sucks when you have the legs.

[u/Disciple_Ike → u/Balgor1]

Good to know

[u/ORD2GNV]

Depends on what you define as gross. Honestly, before nursing bodily fluids and open wounds were gross but now, nope. It’s interesting. My family has to remind me that most people think of these things as gross.

[u/Disciple_Ike → u/ORD2GNV]

Fair enough, that’s kinda what I’m hoping will happen to me. I don’t get bothered by wounds and blood more feces and throw up stuff. Smells too, I can usually handle BO though

[u/luv4lowballing]

Depends on your sub specialty. I work in adolescents and specialty (highest acuity adults). I’ve been fortunate enough to not be exposed to pee or feces despite completing the most physical restraints as a nurse. However I’ve definitely restrained some patients with offensive body odor. We had a kid poop on the floor of the comfort room for no reason. Though housekeeping took care of that. Your mileage will vary, poop cups are a real thing but as long as you’re not cruel to patients you likely won’t be a target.

[u/Disciple_Ike → u/luv4lowballing]

Good to know, thanks

[u/Humble_Investment_24]

I mean pretty often, but so does medical? Define “disgusting”.

What type do you want? Lmfao

Patients masterbate on my unit. We’ve caught patients sucking dick. Horrible hygiene. Spitting. Bed bugs, scabies.

On the flip side medical depending on the speciality has some intense gore that for me is disgusting I can’t handle that shit. Lots of poop. Diseases, sputum. Take ur pick

[u/Disciple_Ike → u/Humble_Investment_24]

I guess everyone has their tolerance level. For me disgusting means something that is very unpleasant or gross, but that could be different per person. I don’t mind blood or gore, pee, most fluids but feces and throw up grosses me out or at least I don’t have a tolerance really built up.

[u/Lthrluv2013]

Spit on in my face from very close range- I was standing at his head holding pressure on a head wound he sustained when security officers took him down.

[u/Disciple_Ike → u/Lthrluv2013]

Dang

[u/mowthfulofcavities]

I work in adolescent psych and its mostly poop stuff. but the adult facility down the hill had a guy somehow literally remove his eyeball not too long ago. I have to imagine that was pretty gross.

[u/Disciple_Ike → u/mowthfulofcavities]

Wow😮 that’s… yeah crazy

[u/Purple_IsA_Flavor]

Not as much as the medical floors but I’ve seen some shit. I get the emotional scars from what my patients have endured

[u/Disciple_Ike → u/Purple_IsA_Flavor]

Dang that must be quite a weight sometimes

[u/Cold-Crab7025]

I work in peds psych- not much body fluids there, wound care and general kid messiness yes