I finally did it. The procedure that drives fear into the hearts of nursing and medical students alike.
I inserted a foley catheter today.
I won't go into details, but it was a lot more difficult doing it on a lab dummy, but for some reason it was less stressful. I can't say it went off without a hitch, but the important part is the patient has been given some needed relief.
We're halfway through our first clinical now, and I've done tube feedings, helped change wound dressings (and the most foul odor I have ever smelled is a stage four decubitis ulcer), performed neurological assessments and full assessments.
And I've done the stuff people warned me about: bathing patients, transporting them, repositioning them, making beds -- both unoccupied and occupied -- cleaning up vomit, changing a Depends and wiping dirty bottoms (my mom would be so proud).
Don't get me wrong, that stuff is pretty unpleasant to do. But seeing how much better a patient looks and feels after doing that stuff for them -- well, when the patients' discomforts went away any doubts I still had about becoming a nurse pretty much left, too.
