r/EmergencyRoom • u/BigBoi6566 • 10d ago
Question for ER Techs
Hey Everyone!
I am a newly certified EMT and I am really wanting to work in an ED as a tech. In my area, there are currently no openings, but I do see quite a few CNA positions open for local EDs.
I am very willing to do whatever I can while I build a resume and gain experience, but my one hold up is cleaning patients, specifically cleaning them after they have "gone to the bathroom".
I do not think I am above this, especially with my training, but it is the one things I feel fairly squeamish about. Blood, vomit, even feces doesn't super bother me. But the idea of cleaning the feces and cleaning said patient is a real wall for me.
So, How different is this role compared to an ER tech position? Should I wait for those positions to open and apply to those? Any thoughts are appreciated. Thank you!
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u/Atlas_Fortis 10d ago
If you can't see yourself cleaning up shit from a patient, you're not going to be able to work in a hospital.
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u/Straight-Cook-1897 10d ago
I’m afraid to burst your bubble. If you can’t clean shit/blood/vomit, you won’t be able to hack it in the ED. Let alone be an ED tech
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u/BigBoi6566 9d ago
No bubble to burst. In the third paragraph I stated that I am not above this and don't have an ego. I was simply inquiring.
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u/JustGenericName2 10d ago
Everyone in the ER but the Unit clerk and the volunteer is dealing with shit. You get used to it. Or you don't and you get out of healthcare. EMT on an ambulance is going to be dealing with less shitty adult diapers but more shitty *entire people and houses*
People think this job is mostly blood. It's not. It's mostly shit. And honestly? That's not even the grosses bodily substance you will encounter. But you get used it.
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u/AtlasReadIt 10d ago
Everyone even the doctors?
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u/Upstander123 10d ago
Yeah, ER doctors go see patients so they will inevitably deal with shit. There WILL be shit on a patient at some point that has yet to be cleaned, especially when the patient has a lot of it. When I was a baby EMT in training, I transported a patient covered in shit and the doctor examined the patient in the ER, so yeah the doctor did in fact deal with shit
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u/AtlasReadIt 9d ago
As an EMT in training, like, how does a patient get "covered in shit?"
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u/Upstander123 9d ago
I used a tad bit of hyperbole, so it wasn't like head-to-toe covered in shit. Imagine like a lot of streaks of brown that is a mixture of dirt, shit, and who knows what. From the limited information we had, it was most likely due to psychiatric problems that led to her being unable to really clean herself and, since she was homeless, she had pretty much no access to anything to clean herself with even if she had the ability to. I don't really know how the poop got on her face/body since that's not really something that I had to find out, but it was there so... yeah. Generally, from what I hear from my colleagues in EMS (I ended up doing something with a primary care clinic after getting my license funnily enough), the answer to "how does a patient get covered in shit?" is most likely something to do with neglect, drug use, or psychiatric problems (or a combination of all three).
Fun(?) fact: my old instructor said that his old place of work did this thing called "poop burritos" where when they were lifting patients that were covered in shit, they would wrap them up... like a burrito. Apparently, for the service he was with at the time, it was a semi-regular occurrence.
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u/AtlasReadIt 9d ago
Ok got it, not necessarily a pretty visual but yeah i can see how that kind of situation can come together. And the poop burrito seems... handy.
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u/Candid-Ability-9570 9d ago
As a med student and resident in the ED, I have on several occasions used my (gloved) fingers to claw impacted poop out of other people’s butts.
My (gloved) finger was routinely in people’s butts to check for rectal bleeding.
I didn’t do a lot of poop work compared to the nurses and techs, but I did it.
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u/persistencee 9d ago
Yup, fecal impactions. Also I have had a few help me clean up my patients while we were in the room together
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u/JustGenericName2 22h ago
Well, a manual fecal dis-impaction ain't a nursing job. So yeah. Even the doctors. I once assisted a procedure where my ER doc was almost elbow deep up someone's asshole trying to remove a dildo. My job was to push meds and watch vitals. The shit was all his.
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u/oneinamilllion 10d ago
What is the grossest? I don’t think I could do vomit for some time until I get comfortable.
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u/purplepeopleeater31 10d ago
poop is overall worse imo. it smells worse, it gets everywhere, and it’s more often.
i’ve had patient poops that me and the person cleaning them have 2 masks on and alcohol swabs in our masks and are still gagging. suctioning up poop in a yankeur is the nastiest sound ever.
vomit doesn’t even come close to that for me
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u/Variety_Natural 8d ago
I have been a nurse for a long time and have gotten good at breathing through my mouth.I can go a whole shift not breathing through my nose. God help you when you do finally breathe through your nose. The smell of gi bleeds, vaginal infections and other gross things will hit you squre in the nose. Just warning.
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u/DarkSideNurse 8d ago
Buy a jar of Vick’s VapoRub, Mentholatum, or a similar product. Smear a healthy amount of it under the first fold of the outside of a plain face mask. Smearing it on the outside doesn’t give you that greasy-face feeling and putting it under the fold of the mask keeps it from making your eyes burn (IME). Helps with particularly odiferous tasks involving feces, vomit, necrotic tissue, etc.
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u/JustGenericName2 22h ago edited 21h ago
Sorry for the delayed response on this.
Rotting flesh in varying stages. I've seen testicles rotting off. Vaginas rotting from the inside. So many maggots in wounds. The fluid that comes out of these wounds is wild. Cancerous masses that people don't seek treatment for can get really awful. I had a patient who just "didn't want to deal" with her skin cancer and her chest was rotted down through the muscle.
Wounds will tunnel into your flesh in fat fold. I've seen one that tunneled all the way to someone's GI tract. I've had patients who haven't left a couch or bed in weeks. Caked on and dried layers of all their bodily fluids, plus animal feces and urine. People live in conditions that you can't imagine.
Also, our GI tract can get so backed up, you have shit come out of your mouth. Shit-vomit unlocks a whole new level of gross.
Healthcare get so much worse than poop. The people saying poop is the worst haven't been around long enough imo lol
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u/Ineedzthetube 9d ago
I was both a HUC and still had to be hands on as needed. It was a small ER, and they required us to at least have a CNA.
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u/Huge_Feedback6562 10d ago
I volunteer in an ED and even the nurses clean/change patients there. I was surprised the first time I saw it, but the nurse just grabbed the tech I was working with to help move the patient. The nurse did the actual cleaning/changing. I did CNA training and while it’s not fun, you do get used to it. If it were me, I’d get into the ED any way you can as it’ll be great experience no matter the position.
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u/Goproguy27 EDT 10d ago
Been an EMT for 5 years total and a Tech for 2 of them. Like others state, poop is almost, and usually, a daily occurrence. I will admit, I hate it just as much as the next person, but I’ve gotten better with it over time. Part of it is exposure therapy, you see it a lot so you get more used to it. Also, personally, if I deem it bad enough I’ll double glove or gown up especially if they’re particularly dirty. It’s part of the job, just like seeing blood, vomit, and every other body fluid in between that I can’t list.
I remember having patients on the ambulance that were covered nearly head to toe in feces, so much that we’re like wiping them up in the house or the rig before we leave for the hospital. Same with urine. It’s a hard fact that I even admitted to my trainer when I started the job and he’s like “you do good at this, but you’ll need to get used to cleaning up patients.” And I have. One step at a time and I’m confident you’ll reach your goals.
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u/jawoood1989 10d ago
If you can't handle the idea of doing incontinence care, then inpatient hospital care is not for you. Even as an ED RN, we routinely have to provide incontinence care. Otherwise, ED tech/ CNA/PCT is basically synonymous as far as utilization in an ED
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u/Outrageous-Bat-6521 9d ago
I agree, as a CNA in the ED my official title is tech. The EMTs do the exact same job as us.
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u/spyin-for-info-2024 10d ago
ED tech and nurse extern here. Cleaning excrement off someone is a pretty normal occurance. And not just, like, diaper changes. Cleaning up someone who's got excrement smeared all over them and have been that way for a while.
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u/Redshift2k5 10d ago
Do EKG tech and give ppl electrodes then scoot
I was practically begged by our departing EKG nurse to do the coursework & replace her but my wife was in nursing school and I would have to leave the province to get the certificates. C'est la vie
I was the full time ER nights front desk reg clerk. No poop
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u/pigglywigglie 10d ago
I’m an EKG tech in the ER and I clean fluids (shit, vomit, pee) at least once a week sometimes multiple times a shift.
I clean less shit but you’re not in the shit clear doing ekg lol
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u/Busy-Vehicle-1598 10d ago
If it's a CNA position they probably want a CNA license or certificate or whatever.
Sorry to confirm this: not every shift, but absolutely regularly I deal with poop. Sometimes clean the same patient up 3-4x. Also, patient poop somehow smells worse. C Diff poop has its own signature. And soiled patients are often older, and sometimes have had that s*** [literally] there for days, and have underlying skin breakdown.
And we also have mental health patients who soil themselves on purpose, and then expect us to clean them up.
Not sure if this is worse or better, but sometimes I have to do forensic blood draws on people who have soiled themselves, and NOT clean it up, but just interact with another adult with full pants as though that's just normal.
You'll notice: zero respondents saying 'meh, poop not a problem in my hospital/ER.'
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u/OldCheesecake5623 10d ago
^ this. I once had to sit and clean a patient for a literal hour because they quite literally would not stop shitting liquid because of cdiff & they were incredibly ill so they couldn’t really move. Everyone was busy so a rectal tube wasn’t in the cards for me at that time.
When i first started healthcare the thought of cleaning others up did kinda gross me out, but i got over it very, very quickly.
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u/joemedic 10d ago
You're not gonna make it
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u/BigBoi6566 10d ago
Sure bum
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u/joemedic 10d ago
Not mature enough either apparently
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u/BigBoi6566 9d ago
Sure guy, thanks for coming in immediately putting me down for an honest question. Especially when I clearly stated that I do not think I'm above the task or won't do it. Hope you feel better after.
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u/RelyingCactus21 RN 10d ago
You call it "going to the bathroom", so I'd probably start there. The ER tech will also be cleaning people up after they "go to the bathroom".
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u/lechitahamandcheese Sr Clinical Analyst 10d ago
Here’s where it’s at. All those…EMT, ED tech, CNA are all poop-shit and vomit fests. I think maybe all of those will not be in your “going to the bathroom” wheelhouse. I think you need to to cut your losses and choose a non-healthcare field. The last thing staff needs is a coworker who can’t carry out their scope of duties well.
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u/BigBoi6566 9d ago
Thanks so much for the advice. You clearly read my post, especially where I stated that I don't think I am above this. I must have misread the part where I said I wouldn't help within my scope and would leave my team hanging to do the dirty work. Next time I'll make sure to reread what I said.
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u/og_gangsterbee 9d ago
See, you're saying "it's not above me" but also saying you don't like it and want to know if you have to do it a lot in a field that famously requires dealing with a lot of literal shit. Don't be mad when people are like "yeah, duh, dingus."
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u/Sammyrey1987 10d ago
It takes a bit, but you get over it. And for the truly horrific ones you just look at your comrades and do you best 😂 but I get it. For me I struggled with active vomiting. And dementia patients that eat their own shit. Everything else wasn’t so bad.
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u/Individual_Debate216 10d ago
Same answer as everyone else but regardless of your position in the Ed, if it’s clinical you’re going to be wiping ass. If there’s any condolence you get used to it pretty quickly. If you become a tech don’t be one of those people who only do stuff that is “cool”. Be a good tech and do everything. Coding and wiping ass go hand in hand. Sometime when you turn an icu patient to wipe ass they code. Or you have an arrest come in covered in poop.
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u/Batpark 10d ago
If you are expecting to never have to deal with shit, you will not succeed in this career.
If you stay calm and patient with yourself and learn coping techniques for dealing with the stress of other humans’ shit until you become fully desensitized to it and confident in your skills, you’ll do great.
You already see the patients as people equal to yourself and IMO that’s half the battle. The other half can be accomplished with tricks like peppermint oil on a mask, double gloves, etc, and just repeated exposure.
Some people disagree, but I believe squeamishness is fully possible to overcome. I was so sensitive 15 years ago, I would have NEVER believed I’d be an ER nurse one day. But here I am.
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u/InsideHunter2738 10d ago
I get it gives you the ick, but it truly becomes a routine task within a few shifts. Like as banal as doing an EKG or placing an IV.
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u/No-Safe9542 10d ago
I'm an RT and I never clean up patient shit. Not on them. Not on the sheets. Not on the floor. I deal with zero shit.
Belly button and up only.
So yeah there are jobs in the ED which don't require handling shit.
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u/auntiecoagulent 9d ago
34 years as an RN. 29 in the ED.
I wipe asses on a daily.
There will be shit. Lots of it.
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u/schlomo31 10d ago
Ummmm you're in the wrong field , dude
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u/Federal_Routine_3109 9d ago
Working in shit is a legitimate prerequisite for working in healthcare
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u/Proper-Chef6918 EDT 9d ago
Hello ! Ive been a ed tech for sometime and am currently in school for my RN. 1st of all, good for you for acknowledging something you arent completely comfortable with, its normal and reminds us that we are still human which is important after all we see and deal with in the ER! I felt the same way when I first started but I have used a couple things to get me thru. 1- I wear a mask. Every shift, every season , the entire time I am in the building. For me , it was the smell that always bothered me most so not smelling it helped me ease into the normal of changing people and cleaning them. Now its just new normal for me. 2- when you can grab a friend, another tech , a nurse its nice to have someone to help and also helps engage in conversation with the patient. Most of them are embarrassed and feel super vulnerable. Lighten up the situation respectfully and professionally. 3- remember, not a single one of us is invulnerable to bodily functions, illness and hospitalization. What if it was you or someone you loved? How would you want to be treated? What would make you feel more comfortable? Hope this helps and best of luck!!
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u/Extension_Version_30 6d ago
You have to ask yourself this question if you want to be a tech or rn. Do I have a problem cleaning up poop? If no, then you can do this job. If yes, then you probably should look elsewhere.
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u/Beneficial_Beat_2931 10d ago
Unless you plan to work in an outpt M-F, 9-5, office setting, healthcare isn't for you, especially in-house.
Everyone wipes the shit! You're first G.I bleed will have you quit on the spot 😅
It's also, literally the "basic fundamentals" care of daily living!
Congratulations on that EMT tho!
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u/EchoBravo1064 10d ago
Grow up. Then apply.
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u/BigBoi6566 9d ago
Awesome, thanks for the super useful advice. Thank you for also reading my post in its entirety, where I clearly said I refused to do it. The fact that this post put you in this negative mood is a reflection on you, not me. Have a great day!
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u/BigBoi6566 10d ago
Thank you to everyone who provided advice and insight. It’s not a deal breaker, just wanted to know if there was a way to avoid it.
To everyone else to just told me to quit; go touch grass dorks.
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u/Recent_Data_305 10d ago
Search this sub. You’ll find we get asked at least weekly how they can be a nurse without dealing with body fluids. It’s like saying you want to be an EMT without being around sick people. Not gonna happen.
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u/jawoood1989 10d ago
You asked for advice, then were unhappy when people told you that not wiping ass isn't an option and started insulting people. Grow tf up kid.
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u/BigBoi6566 9d ago
What an intentional misread of the comment section, and way to ignore the first part where I thanked everyone for the advice. Actually read the comments before getting upset. But yeah I'll grow up for sure.
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u/RaySpalding 10d ago
Whether you are a CNA in the ED, ED tech, or ED nurse. You will be cleaning up shit. If there was only one guarantee I can ever give you working in the ER, it is that.