Although people take up vocational nursing for a variety of reasons, few are likely to do because they have become dissatisfied with their position as CEO of a major corporation or grown bored with their legislative duties as US senators. What vocational nursing students share is relative poverty. In order to eat and pay the rent for the year of forty hours per week schooling it takes to be license eligible, many work for minimum wage as nurse's aides or related low-skilled service jobs. In addition to working for various registries, my wife and I survived the year by selling our plasma and doing freelance home care whenever possible. Before graduation I learned of another technique, utilized by some students in the class immediately preceeding ours. When I first heard about it, I was momentarily surprised. Then realized I oughtn't to have been. My information began second and third hand, but curiosity, and no small degree of arousal, prompted me to inquire further, and eventually speak to most of the direct participants. Their story follows:

Casa Loma College of Nursing is a small, privately owned school located in the North San Fernando Valley. Its instructors are all RNs and have backgrounds in wide variety of nursing specialties. One of the best, and best liked by the students, Norma Jones, added a PhD to her already impressive list of academic credentials, therby becoming Dr Jones, RN. Doctorate in hand, it was only natural that Norma Jones would try her hand at writing texts for nursing students. Her first book, addressing psycho-sexual concerns of ostomy patients, was so well received that the publisher, a subsidiary of massive Hoffman-LaRoche, was anxious for her to produce another and supplied a generous advance to see it along. Norma had already decided that her next work would concern more basic nursing procedures that underlie many nurse-patient encounters, but are often neglected in academic nursing.

She also decided that her book would be generously illustrated, and that she would do the illustrations herself.

With that in mind she hired a photographer experienced in doing medical and hospital procedures for medical education. Then she contacted some of her students. Nearly one half of her class would eventually participate in some way to the making of Norma's textbook. Almost every student needed extra money, and each was offered a fairly generous stipend in exchange for having procedures ranging from IV lines, to nasogastric tube insertion to enemas performed on them while being photographed. In order to select subjects for the last catagory, Norma took several students aside, asking them privately whether they would be willing to endure rectal procedures for slightly more money than the previous volunteers had received.

She made her selections carefully, choosing only students who had raised their hands affirmatively when she had polled the class earlier in the semester, as most nursing instructors do, on who had or hadn't been given an enema at some in her life. She wanted the demonstrations to go smoothly and not have to take time to allay the anxieties of someone who had never received an enema before. Of the five students approached, two declined, and three accepted. Norma Jones told them to come to the school the following Saturday, having eaten no breakfast and only a light dinner the night before. She also requested they do whatever necessary to ensure that they were "cleaned out" beforehand. At this, one of the volunteers, Luann Vanderhorst, tried unsuccessfully to supress a giggle.

The first student to arrive Saturday morning was Alice Meza, a friendly, handsome Latina, who already possessed ten years experience as an NA as well as two children. Norma greeted her then led her to the small auditorium where the photographer, Rick Dubrow, had set up a tripod and several light stands around the hospital bed and exam table the school used for demonstrations. She had Alice go behind a portable partition and shed her jeans and tee shirt for one of the white, full shirt gowns she would wear to lend authenticity to the pictures. "How do you feel?" Norma called from the other side of the partition.

"Okay," Alice called back. "I mean, I think I'm ready. Martha gave me an enema this morning, so-" Alice stopped abruptly, her face reddening. She'd forgotten that Norma wasn't alone. But then this Rick would see it all anyway, wouldn't he? Taking a deep breath, she stepped out from behind the partition, white gown falling an inch or so below her knees. At least this isn't one of the backless kind, she thought, thankfull for small faovors.

"You look fine," Norma said. "We'll get started as soon as the other two get here.

Luann arrived at the same time as the third student, Ted Weather. They walked from the parking lot together. "So what do you think?" Ted asked. "Nervous?"

"Yeah, a little," Luann replied. At twenty-three she was one of the younger members of her class. "I had to use a ducolax suppository last night. That was sure lots of fun."

"Why didn't you give me a call?" Ted asked, grinning. "I could've come over and helped you out. Are you sure you got it in the right place?" he asked, dodging a playfully thrown punch. Luann and Ted had dated early in the year, but then decided to be friends instead of lovers. Although Ted had already seen what lay beneath the yellow short-shorts and gray windbreaker Luann wore that day, he was looking forward to what would come, and figured correctly that she was too. Norma greeted them as she had Alice and showed them to the auditorium, where Alice sat on the bed, bare legs dangling as Rick waved a light meter about her neck and shoulders like a ceremonial wand. She waved at them, a comical expression of fright on her face, as Norma handed them additional gowns to change into. She went over to Rick and began consulting with him while Luann and Ted shed their clothes, bumping one another in confined space. "I feel so funny about this," Luann said, sliding her shorts down to reveal candy-striped panties. "Who is that anyway?" she asked, referring to Rick. "Don't worry," Ted assured her, taking a moment to appreciate a view that would never grow stale--Luann's body was soft and round and her skin milk white with faint freckles dancing along her upper thighs, hips and fanny. Her body was the kind that used to be described as making a Bishop kick a hole through a stained glass window. "Besides, you can use the money, right?" "Yeah.... It's just that I never had an enema before, Ted."

"You never...?" Ted looked perplexed. "Then why did you raise your hand in class when she asked who did?" "I misunderstood." Luann's said, face reddening. "I thought she was still talking about dealing with angry patients."

"So-"

"So, I though she'd asked who had ever had an 'enemy'?"

"Oh, for Christsake!" Ted laughed, bumping into and nearly knocking the partition over.

"Are you two alright in there?" Alice called, still sitting on the bed. "One of us is-" Ted's reply cut off with a short gasp, as if he'd been punched in the stomach. More giggling followed. Alice looked around, Norma was nowhere in sight. She caught Rick's eye, grinned. "They used to, like, go out, you know?" she explained.

"I was beginning to wonder," he said with a warm smile that made Alice believe that she might survive the day after all. From just outside the auditorium, the rumbling of a cart approached. Norma appeared, pressing the door open with her back, a treatment cart followed, atop were piled several plastic enema kits, boxed Fleet enemas, red coiled rectal tubes, Foley catheters in various sizes, rubber gloves, packets of K-Y jelly, red plastic thermometer cases, electronic thermometers, and an assortment of stainless steel clamps, gauges small bowls.

Alice's eyes widened when she saw how well Norma Jones had prepared for the day. Enemas had been a fact of life in her large family ever since she could remember. She continued to rely on them from time to time, usually with the assistance of her older sister, Martha, who also ministered to her neices as well as her own children. Getting an enema was no more a big deal than taking an aspirin. But all of this...? There had to be easier ways to earn two hundred dollars, didn't there?

Ted and Luann emerged together from the changing area. Luann took one look at Norma's cart, then turned as if to go back and replace her street clothes. Ted put a restraining hand on her arm. "Steady'" he said. "We agreed to do this together."

"It's okay, Luann," Norma said, reassuringly. "This isn't all for you."

"No, not with Ted here to help." A new voice entered the auditorium, and with it Laura Willis, another instructor and friend of Norma's. Like Norma she was dressed in street clothes, only these were covered by a long white labcoat.

"I was wondering if you'd get here," Norma said.

"Overslept a little. But I made it."

"But, what's she doing-" Alice began.

"Laura will be administering the treatments," Norma said.

"We thought you would be..., you know, doing all that," Luann said.

"I'm the director." Norma smiled. "And we'd better get started if we're going to get everything done today. I can't afford to have this guy keep coming back," she added, indicating Rick.

"I'm ready when you are," he said, readying a pan head on his tripod for quick movement.

"Okay," Laura said with a brisk clap of her hands. "Who's first?"

"Alice's already on the bed," Ted said, helpfully.

"Hey, wait a minute!" Alice looked momentarily panicked. Norma went over and put a reassuring hand on her knee. "We'll begin with the least invasive procedure first," she explained. "I don't want to wear anyone out too soon."

"Oh." Alice looked relieved. "Okay, I'll go first then. What are we going to do?"

"Temperatures--glass and digital." Laura had already starting opening packets of K-Y from the cart. She put them to one side, then picked up a red obolong plastic box. "Let me get you preparing that," Rick said, bringing up a handheld camera with flash attatched.

"Just a few shots, okay?" Norma said, "The focus is on patient interactions, not the mechanical stuff."

"We've only been shooting three months now," Rick said as he focused on Laura's busy hands. "I think I've got the idea." She extracted a red topped thermometer. "Sheath?" she asked Norma, holding up a red paper rectangle.

"You know, I really don't like those things," Norma said, considering. "Each patient should have their own thermometer anyway, so what's the point of them?" "Yeah, yeah, Norma," Laura said grinning. "Like you know things are always the way they should be."

"You're right, let's do both; I'll make sure and recommend they take out the thermometer and dump those in the trash. Okay, lay supine, Alice." Norma pulled back the covers and helped Alice lay on her back, as if she were a hospitalized patient. Laura took her place by the bedside, small tray in one hand. Rick made several exposures with his main camera as Laura raised the bed up electrically so she wouldn't have to stoop to reach Alice. They talked to give the impression of a nurse explaining a procedure to her patient.

"Your hair looks too good for someone really in the hospital," Laura told her.

"Thank goodness for that, at least," Alice said with an embarrassed laugh.

"Hey! I caught that laugh," Rick said. "Be careful, or this won't look real!"

"I always laugh when somebody sticks a thermometer up my ass," Alice protested with another giggle.

"That's good, girl," Laura said, "'Cause it's time for you to turn over. Sim's, okay?"

"Ay madre de dios," Alice muttered, turning onto her left side and flexing her right leg. Laura pulled the blanket down past her knees, then, placing the thermometer tray on the foot of the bed, used both hands to gently pull Alice's gown past her light brown thighs up to her hips, exposing firm buttocks only a bit lighter than her legs. Lights flashed as Rick worked the camera.

"What's your secret?" Laura asked, picking the tray up again. She applied generous dabs of K-Y to the thermometer, waving it slightly to prevent the jelly from dripping.

"What secret?" Alice asked.

"You have two kids, right? How do you say in shape?"

"Chasing after their butts, how do you think?" Alice said. "I sure haven't got time for-"

"Be sure and spread her cheeks wide," Norma interrupted. That brought a giggle from behind her where Ted and Luann awaited their turn. "Go ahead and laugh," Norma said without turning. "You're next."

With a friendly pat on Alice's right cheek, Laura spread it wide, keeping her body away from the bed so as not to block Ted's camera. "How's that?" she asked him. "Can you get a shot of her anus?"

"Yes. Just hold it one sec," Ted said, lowering one of the lights to eliminate shadows. Laura stood still, one hand opening her student's behind, the other poised with a dripping thermometer. Together they looked like an avant garde statue cast to honor the nursing profession. "Okay, go ahead." Rick's lights flashed several times as Laura placed the moist bulb gently against Alice's wrinkled anus, then slowly passed it one, then two full inches into her rectum.

"Remember to sit down," Norma said.

With her hand still touching the exposed end of the thermometer, Laura twisted about gracefully and sat on the very edge of the bed, keeping much of her weight on the floor. Watching, Luann remembered that sitting on the edge of the patient's bed was somewhat controversial in health care--many felt it was undignified and an invasion of the patient's personal space. But Norma argued that procedures were often more comfortable to the patient if the nurse was herself not placed in an uncomfortable position while performing them. Anyway, Alice looked pretty well invaded with a glass rod in her ass.

"Okay," Rick said, making one more exposure. "Got that one."

Laura gently pulled the thermometer out of Alice. She wiped it carefully and examined the result, before wrapping it in tissue and placing it on the tray. She picked up another tissue and lifted Alice's cheeks again, but Norma said, "Wait, we only need one shot of you cleaning her --she'll be more comfortable with her tush already lubricated--just do it once at the end, okay?"

Laura nodded as she retrieved a white plastic box from which a short loop of coiled wire dangled. She extracted a metal rod similar in length to the thermometer, then covered it with an opaque plastic sheath, snapping it securely to the base of the probe. She used her forefinger to smear lubricant jelly along its length. Rick moved around her, shooting with his handheld again. Alice remained on her side, legs flexed and buttocks exposed. "Should I go on my back again?" she asked.

"No," Norma said. "I don't know exactly how the layout's going to go, but we can use the first shoot over if neccessary. Rick, can you do one with her fanny in the background?"

"Sure." Rick shifted, keeping his camera on Laura's hands. "It won't be in focus, though."

"That's okay, it's enough to keep the idea that this is a rectal procedure."

"Okay," Laura said, this time sitting alongside Alice with the glistening probe still in her hand. "Ready Alice?"

"Yeah, I guess," Alice said, her tone drawing smiles from the rest. With Rick back at his main camera, Laura spread the student's buttocks again, holding them through several flashes, then placing the plastic tip against Alice's anus for several more, before inserting the probe slowly into her rectum. This one seemed to go in nearly three inches before stopping.

"Notice," Norma murmered to an enraptured Luann and Ted, "How she rests the tip of both against the anus for a moment before inserting it? Most people just run it up in one continuous motion. But this way is much more comfortable for the patient, not to mention safer."

"I don't think I've used the digital to take a rectal temp yet," Luann said.

"I know, it's used mostly for oral temps because there's little danger of the patient breaking it. But when a rectal temp is called for the probe has some advantages--it only takes a few seconds, so you don't always have to manhandle the patient into Sims or a supine position. If you're carefull, it can be done standing, or bent over-"

"So, you're going to make Alice do it again, bending over the table?" Ted broke in, unable to suppress a small grin. Norma smiled back.

"No, Ted, I'm not going to make Alice do it over again--not at all." Then she turned back to the bed, leaving Ted with his first case of serious stomach flutters that morning.

"Hold on another moment," Rick told Alice and Laura, as removed a spent film back from his camera and prepared to replace it with a fresh one.

"I ain't going nowhere," Alice said with a laugh. The insertion of the first thermometer had brought back memories of when she was little and had a cold or flu and her mother would gently plant a thermometer in her behind and sit beside her, warm hand on her butt, waiting for a reading. The slim glass rod sliding past her anus felt like nothing else. The probe, in contrast, was warmer and thicker and felt like the tip of the bulb enema her mom sometimes used as a follow up to the temperature. She tried to remember the last time she had had her temperature taken rectally and decided it must of been when she was ten or eleven.

"You know, this isn't too bad," Laura told her, eyeing the digital readout as the white box began to beep.

"What do you mean?" Alice asked.

"When I was in school--not that long ago, too-- one of our first assignments was to measure our own temperatures at home, and record our findings."

"You mean...?"

"Yes. We did oral, axillary, inguinal and rectal temps on ourselves, every night for a week. Then we logged them on a graph. Isn't that how it was for you, Norma?" "Temps? You had it easy, Laura," Norma said with a laugh.

The lights flashed twice more. "Okay," Rick said, "Got it now." Laura slowly removed the probe from Alice's rectum. Pressing one finger against its top, she skillfully snapped the probe cover into a small paper bag taped to one side of the cart, then reinserted the metal probe into the white box. Lifting Alice's cheek again, she carefully wiped the residue from her anus.

"Okay, girl," Laura, said, giving the tan buttocks another playful swat. She looked toward Ted and Luann. "Next up!" This precipitated another fit of giggles from Luann.

Norma consulted a clipboard upon which she had listed the pictures she needed for today. "Let's do the tap water enema and Harris flush next." Laura nodded and picked up one of the buckets, taking it over to the steel sink. "Luann...," Norma said, pointing at the bed with her clipboard.

"Why me?" Luann's freckles disappeared as her face reddened. "Can't he go next?" She pointed to Ted, who snorted indignantly.

"Just because you've never had one-"

"What's this?" Norma said, forcing Luann to explain her error of months before. "Have you given enemas yet?"

"Yes, a few," Luann replied.

"Then you really should have one yourself--so you know what it feels like."

"Well...." Luann still looked doubtful, then Ted whispered in her ear. She smiled, nodded. "Okay," she said. She climbed into the bed, pulling the covers comically up to her chin.

"What are you, hiding?" Laura asked, returning with the enema bucket filled three quarters full. She placed it on the cart, then opened more packets of lubricant as Rick moved in to photograph her preparations.

"You really never had an enema before?" Alice, hovering by the bed, asked Luann.

"No--at least I don't think so. Have you?"

"Sure," Alice nodded. "They're not so bad."

"Laura's going to give you a small Harris flush, Luan," Norma said. "So you'll get an idea how it feels without taking too much water. I can use the pictures for SSE as well. Then we'll show the catheter in place to seal you off and siphon a retained enema." Laura moved into position by the bed. She positioned an overbed table alongside, adjusting the height so it be several inches above Luann's hips when she turned over. Rick resumed his place by the main camera, shooting Laura's final preparations with Luann in the background.

"Don't worry, hon," Laura said. "I won't put that much into you, only a little more than a Fleet's."

"Okay," Luann said. She knew from experience that few patients had difficulty tolerating a Fleet's. And although she had never given a Harris flush, she had seen it done several times--the back and forth motion of the water into the patient's bowel prevented distention and the feeling of excessive fullness. Although most rectal treatments were new to her--she had not so much as inserted a rectal suppository until starting nursing school--she did have experience with anal sex. While it was still a challange to take comfortably, she had found much to like about it, especially having fingers put up her ass in preparation for what was to follow.

"Turn over, Luann," Laura said, holding the clear plastic rectal tube in one hand, the last three inches of which glistened with dripping K-Y. Her free hand pulled back the covers as Luann shifted to her left, bringing both legs up so that her thighs made right angles to her stomach. Laura placed a disposable diaper next to her buttocks, then laid the enema tube on it, using both hands to draw Luann's gown up to her hips. "Love your underwear, Luann," she said as the red striped panties appeared. She moved them down Luann's thighs, revealing soft white buttocks sprinkled lightly with freckles like powdered sugar on delicate pastry.

Picking up the rectal tube in her right hand, Laura used her left to spread Luann's buttocks apart. She glanced back at Rick. "A little wider," he said, face tight on the viewfinder. Luann's buttocks opened wider; her anus appeared, visible from several feet away. Lights flashed. "Okay," Rick said.

"Here it comes, Luann. Take a deep breath and hold it." Laura placed the tube lightly against Luann's anus, paused while the lights popped two more times, then pressed it past her sphincter, inching it gently into the young woman's rectum.

"Ooooohhhh...," Luann exhaled as the enema hose entered her, as if its passage into her bottom forced air from her top.

"You okay, Luann?" Norma asked.

The girl nodded. "Fine," she said. And that was true: the tube didn't feel bad sliding into her ass. Certainly it was smoother and thinner than the fingers and other appendages she had had back there. Laura's hand slid back along the plastic, fingers pushing another inch or so past Luann's buttocks. She paused while Rick made another exposure, then slowly released the clamp, allowing warm water to flow from the bucket into Luann.

"Here it comes, Luann," she said.

"I can feel it going in."

"Too fast?"

"I..., I think it's okay."

Standing between Norma and the bed, Alice glanced at Ted. He looked like he'd been hypnotized, so intent was he on the tableau. She really didn't blame him, though; Luann had an incredible ass. Although certain she had few, if any, lesbian tendencies, Alice had felt her own breathing quicken as Laura worked the slim plastic tube between those gorgeous cheeks.