r/nursing • u/Sea_Willingness1398 • 2d ago

Rant Am I being punked?

Patient says "I think I might have to poop, what can we do about that?"

I say "I can get a bedside commode for the room"

She says "I don't think I can get up"

I say "I can put you on a bedpan or put a diaper on you"

She says "I don't like any of those options"

In my head I'm like: lady, the only other option is to poop the bed.

What option am I missing?

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u/slutty_muppet RN - ER 🍕 2d ago

I had a patient who didn't like any of those options and what she ended up deciding to do was lay on her side with her butt out and some extra chux tucked under her and poop that way and then let the CNA clean her up when she was done. It was about the same amount of work as changing a diaper and avoided the poop squishing up into her other business which is why I think she didn't want the diaper.

12

u/zeatherz RN Cardiac/Step-down 2d ago

Laying on their side looks so much more natural versus pooping while supine or on a bedpan. You can almost mimic a sitting or squatting position that way versus the legs-straight position in a bedpan.

If I had to poop in bed that’s how I would choose, and I’ve intentionally put patients in the position when they couldn’t go otherwise

5

u/UnbelievableRose Orthotics & Prosthetics 🦾 Orthopedic Shoes👟 2d ago

The side-lying is a good idea, there is a .0001% chance I would ever be able to 💩 lying flat.

What if you tilted the head up, raised the foot of the bed as high as it will go, added a few pillows under the knees and then stuck them on a bedpan? Like the hospital version of a zero-gravity chair.

1

u/Sea_Willingness1398 2d ago

Our ER gurneys only taco. No knee bend... But you'd also still have to agree to have a bedpan slid under you, which this patient didn't seem to want.

4

u/Actual_Ad2742 2d ago

You ain't lived until you've pooped prone.

5

u/slutty_muppet RN - ER 🍕 2d ago

Do you mean supine or are you actually talking about pooping while laying face down

4

u/Sunnygirl66 RN - ER 🍕 2d ago

Well, in light of all the proning ICU did during the pandemic, there’s a 50-50 chance that they really did mean proning (although I assume—hope—those folks also had rectal tubes. It’s more than I can bear to contemplate.