No One Is above Emptying Bedpans
More than one nurse has gone into nursing confident that bedpans are not an issue because the nursing aide takes care of them. The truth is that no one should ever be above emptying a bedpan. Your goal in becoming a nurse was to help alleviate pain and suffering and to make a difference in someone's life every day.
When you answer a call light or if you are just walking down the hall and get flagged down to help someone on or off a bedpan, you need to help and not put it off saying, “I'll get your aide for you.” Of course, if you're on your way to another patient to assist an M.D. or were right in the middle of a new admission and cannot stop, a quick explanation and a call to the aide could be appropriate.
Don't overuse this excuse. Even your Director of Patient Care Services (DOPCS) or Director of Nurses (DON) has probably been seen recently rolling up her sleeves and getting back to the basics of patient care. Don't assume just because she is too old and too mean that she wouldn't be caught dead doing this either.
Being seen as “too good” for the realities of patient care can be very harmful to your professional reputation and could be just cause for your coworkers to lose respect for you both as a nurse and as a team player.
The patient's dignity is at risk and should never be compromised by anyone involved in patient care. Elimination is a fact of life. It may not be one of the most pleasant aspects of patient care, but how you handle yourself and how you react may make a big difference. Do your best to make that difference a positive one.
