bad nurse sheffield

Giving nurses a bad name

I came across this picture on Instagram by nurse_student, now whether she thought it cute or funny I do not know but I am fuming.

 

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Id like to say that I responded with a calm, witty devastating put down.  I can’t.  I said “Wow.  I hope you are never my nurse, because if you acted like you wanted to throw up and took the piss whilst doing your fucking job, I would kick your ass.  You give nurses a bad name.”

Id like to explain how it felt when I saw this ‘joke’, I know that nurses have to deal with a lot and sometimes having a sense of humour is the only way to get through a shift, but nurses are supposed to be carers, people who are patient and sensitive.  This ‘joke’ made me cry.

Let me take you back seven months.  I had been through ten years of illness, pain, humiliation, meds and treatments and then just come out of major surgery to remove the whole of my fucking bowel.  I was hooked up to an epidural and had a catheter, I was dosed up on all manner of pain relief and had zero control over my body.  I was having to deal with the fact I had a stoma emotionally and physically.  Having to learn a new set of skills to be able to change my bag and clean myself as well as ‘mourning’ the loss of my bowel and learning to accept my new body.

It was the hardest time of my life.  I have never felt so overwhelmed, exhausted, terrified and alone in my whole life.  I was entirely dependent on those around me and I felt like shit.

Then I had my first leak.  I was covered in shit from my chest to my hips.  It was everywhere and I was mortified, I couldn’t stop crying and I was so embarrassed.  I rang the bell and a nurse came.  She looked at me and said “Oh dear, you poor thing! Come on lets get you sorted.”

She cleaned my skin and dealt with this mess like she was washing the pots.  She smiled and chatted and batted away my embarrassed apologies and thanks.  She made this horrific situation a million times better.  She spoke of how awful she knew I felt but how each day life was going to get easier, she was kind, caring, sensitive and just amazing.

The second big blow out leak I wasn’t so lucky.  A nurse came and she tutted.  She cleaned me up but barely spoke and made me feel like I was an inconvenience to her.  When she left I cried myself to sleep.  I felt like a baby.  I couldn’t even clean myself, it was so heart achingly depressing.

The third time I got a nurse who just put a cardboard bowl of water on the table in front of me and said I needed to learn to do it alone.  I couldn’t sit up, let alone stand.  I had to clean myself up the best I could including washing shit out of the 7 inch stapled would on my stomach.

These nurses, like the woman who posted this ‘joke’ should be ashamed of themselves.  You know what? We all know that dealing with another persons shit isn’t nice, but when you become a fucking nurse then you have to suck it up buttercup! If you don’t like it, if it makes you gag and makes you want to share ‘hilarious’ memes on the internet, then you are IN THE WRONG JOB.

So today Im angry.  Im not weak and sick in a hospital bed right now, I have some energy and will stand up for myself and other people with an ostomy when I see these insensitive, vile jokes.

I just hope that people will read this and understand that what may be a silly joke to you, can devastate a person reading it.  It may seem funny and you may tell people to lighten up about it, but put yourself in the shoes of the person you are mocking.  Or imagine that person is your mum or child and see how funny it is then.

 

Sam xxxx

 

19 replies
  1. AngelFrouk
    AngelFrouk says:

    I couldn’t help but be surprised at this meme. How the hell does he/she think he/she can be a nurse? Of course the smell from inside a ostomy bag isn’t nice, but you should know better then to let the patient know it’s that bad… I really hope this person won’t ever be a nurse!

    I remember when I had to change my first ostomy bag. I was walking down the hallway when I was aproached by a woman’s husband; if I could help his wife.
    She was sitting on the toilet covered in faeces from her chin to her toes. The bag had litterally exploded on her. She was cold, dirty and crying. And the person who should have responded to her call for help hadn’t. So I grabbed a pair of gloves, undressed her and put her in the shower. While she sat in the shower, holding the showerhead in her hands I got rid of her dirty clothes and grabbed all the necessities. I then called out for help as I had only seen another nurse change the bag, I’d never done it before. My trainer helped me change the bag.
    I then learned there had been a few trainees that had actually walked out of the room when her bag had to be changed or stood there, gagging. She actually thanked me for helping her out and not running off.
    And I remember thinking “how on earth can anyone leave a human being like that?” She needed help, desperately…

    My trainer told her that if anyone ever ran off again or gagged while changing her bag she should make a complaint. People who do that shouldn’t be in this profession.
    I fully backed her up and now I tell my trainees the exact same thing. If you can’t handle the smell get out and do NOT come back!

    Reply
  2. AngelFrouk
    AngelFrouk says:

    I couldn’t help but be surprised at this meme. How the hell does he/she think he/she can be a nurse? Of course the smell from inside a ostomy bag isn’t nice, but you should know better then to let the patient know it’s that bad… I really hope this person won’t ever be a nurse!

    I remember when I had to change my first ostomy bag. I was walking down the hallway when I was aproached by a woman’s husband; if I could help his wife.
    She was sitting on the toilet covered in faeces from her chin to her toes. The bag had litterally exploded on her. She was cold, dirty and crying. And the person who should have responded to her call for help hadn’t. So I grabbed a pair of gloves, undressed her and put her in the shower. While she sat in the shower, holding the showerhead in her hands I got rid of her dirty clothes and grabbed all the necessities. I then called out for help as I had only seen another nurse change the bag, I’d never done it before. My trainer helped me change the bag.
    I then learned there had been a few trainees that had actually walked out of the room when her bag had to be changed or stood there, gagging. She actually thanked me for helping her out and not running off.
    And I remember thinking “how on earth can anyone leave a human being like that?” She needed help, desperately…

    My trainer told her that if anyone ever ran off again or gagged while changing her bag she should make a complaint. People who do that shouldn’t be in this profession.
    I fully backed her up and now I tell my trainees the exact same thing. If you can’t handle the smell get out and do NOT come back!

    Reply
  3. cath39
    cath39 says:

    This is just cruel ( this nurse) has no right to be a nurse, how can you think it’s ok to put this on social media? Someone on my Facebook did a similar post at New Years having absolutely no idea of how awful and upsetting it is to have our illness and having to live and deal with a bag, day in day out. I am glad you responded to her, where is she on a Twitter? I will leave her a message too. What a bitchbag!!!! Thank you Sam. X

    Reply
  4. cath39
    cath39 says:

    This is just cruel ( this nurse) has no right to be a nurse, how can you think it’s ok to put this on social media? Someone on my Facebook did a similar post at New Years having absolutely no idea of how awful and upsetting it is to have our illness and having to live and deal with a bag, day in day out. I am glad you responded to her, where is she on a Twitter? I will leave her a message too. What a bitchbag!!!! Thank you Sam. X

    Reply
  5. flyingmammal
    flyingmammal says:

    Can I respond with… “I will have you know I changed my ‘millionth’ (my own and other peoples) bag and only wanted to puke up 500 times’.” Give that nurse a medal ….. *rolls eyes* oh dear… welcome to the real world little nurse.

    That aside, well done really cause it’s not nice, but that meme just wasnt funny. And believe me I have a dodgy sense of humour to get through SHIT.

    Reply
    • sam
      sam says:

      I love a weird sense of humour! We joke about my stoma and poo A LOT. But there’s a time and a place, you know.

      Of course dealing with other peoples shit is not pleasant. But if you’re a nurse then fucking suck it up and don’t put your ‘jokes’ out in public if you can’t deal with criticism.

      Thanks for reading and commenting!

      The laws of irony have rewarded my rant this morning with a bag blow out into my fave trousers!

      If anyone is taking notes, I no longer drink prosecco! 😛

      Reply
  6. flyingmammal
    flyingmammal says:

    Can I respond with… “I will have you know I changed my ‘millionth’ (my own and other peoples) bag and only wanted to puke up 500 times’.” Give that nurse a medal ….. *rolls eyes* oh dear… welcome to the real world little nurse.

    That aside, well done really cause it’s not nice, but that meme just wasnt funny. And believe me I have a dodgy sense of humour to get through SHIT.

    Reply
    • sam
      sam says:

      I love a weird sense of humour! We joke about my stoma and poo A LOT. But there’s a time and a place, you know.

      Of course dealing with other peoples shit is not pleasant. But if you’re a nurse then fucking suck it up and don’t put your ‘jokes’ out in public if you can’t deal with criticism.

      Thanks for reading and commenting!

      The laws of irony have rewarded my rant this morning with a bag blow out into my fave trousers!

      If anyone is taking notes, I no longer drink prosecco! 😛

      Reply
  7. Michelle Bailey
    Michelle Bailey says:

    Toileting 40 toddlers aint the highlight of my day but being as I chose to work with children, I do it, and I do it in a way that maintains their dignity at all times. For us, posting anything like that meme would mean instant dismissal. Our families MUST feel confident that they are leaving their children in caring, respecting hands. I think *SOMEONE* is in the wrong job! *eyes unprofessional nurse pointedly*

    Reply
  8. Michelle Bailey
    Michelle Bailey says:

    Toileting 40 toddlers aint the highlight of my day but being as I chose to work with children, I do it, and I do it in a way that maintains their dignity at all times. For us, posting anything like that meme would mean instant dismissal. Our families MUST feel confident that they are leaving their children in caring, respecting hands. I think *SOMEONE* is in the wrong job! *eyes unprofessional nurse pointedly*

    Reply
  9. Twitchy
    Twitchy says:

    This meme is not funny – not remotely. There’s no humour in it at all – it’s a crude jibe lacking in wit.

    It is quite literally and figuratively a utterly shit meme and whoever devised it and whomever shares it, deserves a bit fat smack in the gob!

    Reply
  10. Twitchy
    Twitchy says:

    This meme is not funny – not remotely. There’s no humour in it at all – it’s a crude jibe lacking in wit.

    It is quite literally and figuratively a utterly shit meme and whoever devised it and whomever shares it, deserves a bit fat smack in the gob!

    Reply
  11. eddie Sot
    eddie Sot says:

    Thank GOD for the GOOD nurses out there. As for the narcissistic puke nurses who think they are doing the world a favor by simply showing up to work while they intermittenly check their Facebook and text their chummies, FU beetches and pricks. WE HATE YOU and wish you would quit your job. DO SOMETHING ELSE>

    Reply

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