Too Much Poo in the ICU
To the person who found my blog using the keyword phrase:
“how much poop does ICU nurse have to clean?”
The answer is: A SHIT LOAD.
And if you have to ask, you probably don’t want to work there. Might I suggest the PACU instead? Patients rarely have bowel movements as they are waking up from general anesthesia.
I'm a part time 
Someone actually Googled that?
Phil — August 7, 2008 @ 5:18 pm
Ha. Seriously, POO everywhere. Sometimes you find it on every Q2-hr turn. In cases of liquid stool, the rectal tube is your friend.
khp — August 7, 2008 @ 5:29 pm
@khp: I’m a BIG fan of the flexiseal
https://www.convatec.com
@Phil: They really did! And I’m so happy to be able to answer the question for whoever it was.
Beth — August 7, 2008 @ 9:30 pm
Poo… how about just bodily fluids in general!!!
LOL
Strong One — August 8, 2008 @ 10:41 am
We do have poo on my unit (surgical ICU) but not as much, I’d say, as a MICU. Thank god for anesthesia shutting down the ol’ bowel! But damn, c-diff.
Caroline — August 9, 2008 @ 6:00 pm
that’s why when you go ICU stick with the NICU, so the poo is much smaller. Possibly guaiac positive.
Thatguynamedtom — August 12, 2008 @ 2:27 pm
I just wanted to let you know I like your blog and you have impacted someone’s life, (mine,) in an unexpected way.
I’m starting college this fall after being out of school many years. I was planning on going into nursing. Deep down I suspected I would suck at being a nurse, especially when I found myself gagging while washing out my pottytraining toddler’s poopy underpants. Your blog, and this post, has pretty much confirmed my suspicions and I’m planning on doing something else now. Thanks for opening my eyes!
Trish — August 12, 2008 @ 10:24 pm
How nice to have found you through Bright Kite today! I’m the sign language interpreter who was in the PICU. I just had to comment on this entry because I LOVE such crazy search phrases. This was beautiful!
Meredith — August 13, 2008 @ 8:20 pm
[...] got this comment the other day from Trish, and I really have mixed feelings about it: I just wanted to let you know I like your blog and you [...]
Nurse + Blog = PixelRN — August 14, 2008 @ 12:52 pm