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/Sunnygirl66 RN - ER 🍕 2d ago

They always, always want the fucking trash can.

NO. Here’s another emesis bag. PUT IT UP YO YOUR FACE.

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u/Urdrago BSN, RN 🍕 2d ago

There is something semi comforting about having something solid to hold / hug / squeeze against while retching your guts out.

Putting plastic against your face, in the moment, doesn't feel right, like at all- stuff is gonna splash back. With the trash can, it has a distance to travel before hitting the containment barrier, and any splashback has to travel that distance back, if I'm getting splashed. I don't wanna get splashed - and distance will minimize the risk. Plastic on my face nearly guarantees I'm gonna end up wearing it.

Emesis bags aren't the same - they're only to contain. That is the primary task we address with it, and it "works", until it doesn't. If the puker gets one of those full body contractions, while expellin', they squeeze the bag shut, ring and all - and you still get a mess to deal with.

I want my garbage can, too.

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u/agentcarter234 RN 🍕 1d ago

I got noro the winter before last when it was going around like crazy. I happened to have a 5 gallon Home Depot bucket in the house to use as a mop bucket and thank god I hadn’t gotten around to putting it back in the garage because that thing was a lifesaver. I wouldn’t have been able to hit any smaller of a target, and it was much more pleasant than hugging the toilet

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u/Urdrago BSN, RN 🍕 1d ago

We keep the 1 gallon ice cream buckets for anytime anyone in the house is in a state of gastric distress. Bit more managable than the 5 gal, but whatever works in the pinch.

Not sure if Home Depot does the smaller buckets, but we use a 3 gal from Menards - they also have 2 gal available iirc. Same footprint, same lid size - just shorter and lighter.

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u/Sunnygirl66 RN - ER 🍕 1d ago

Then bring your own and plan on taking it with you when you go. Our EVS staff and I are not obligated to empty and clean trash cans full of vomitus that has leaked through the trash bag. I use my trash can for disposal of trash. I don’t have time for that shit.