How long does it take to get over being squeamish??

U.S.A. Arizona

Published

Specializes in cardiac/education.

uh.......about one day of clinicals.:lol2:

Specializes in ICU, Research, Corrections.
Never been squeemish. There are somethings I definately prefer not to see or smell. Not sure if lots of exposure will help desensitize you.

Me either. The only thing that ever made me squeamish was in nursing school A&P dissecting cats....or even looking at them for that matter. Humans, no problem :wink2:

You will learn quickly to breathe through your mouth in stinky situations!

There's a really good thread on the student forum titled something like 'so you're observing in the operating room' or along those lines. An operating room nurse wrote it and it gives pointers like:

NEVER lock your knees when standing (I learned this in the Air Force), it'll make you pass out if you lock your knees.

Eat a good breakfast before...

Don't have time to type anymore (Process final tomorrow), but you really do get used to it. I thought I'd have a hard time in the OR, but it was just FASCINATING!! If you're amazed at what goes on in a person's body, you'll be able to get past what you're seeing. Plus, a lot of nurses compartmentalize a person, so you're just looking at an open abdomen, not a person attached to that abdomen, and then it's just about A&P, YKWIM?

Good luck, you'll love it!!

Keli

Specializes in Med-Surg, LTC, Rehabiliation Nursing.

:chair: You really do start to get used to it. I can handle blood, feces, vomit, but I still have a very hard time with copius amounts of mucus!!!!!!!! We all have our 'thing', and that one is mine. Makes me gag like nothing else.

Had a patient whose O2 sats were in the 80's, he was tanking, suctioning himself constantly, it was soo stressful, we finally got him up to an ICU unit, (he did end up okay), but the worst part was that the container hooked up to his suction unit was getting full, yellow, gray and brown mucus, and in the midst of all this I just kept thinking, OMG, if I have to empty that I am going to throw up in front of all these people!!! :barf01: It was awful. I dont know if I will ever get better, I hope so. Just accept your limits, and know that it does get better for most of the stuff. The first open wound I packed was hard, but it gets easier and easier.

Good luck!:monkeydance:

KristyBRN

Specializes in cardiac/education.
:chair: You really do start to get used to it. I can handle blood, feces, vomit, but I still have a very hard time with copius amounts of mucus!!!!!!!! We all have our 'thing', and that one is mine. Makes me gag like nothing else.

Had a patient whose O2 sats were in the 80's, he was tanking, suctioning himself constantly, it was soo stressful, we finally got him up to an ICU unit, (he did end up okay), but the worst part was that the container hooked up to his suction unit was getting full, yellow, gray and brown mucus, and in the midst of all this I just kept thinking, OMG, if I have to empty that I am going to throw up in front of all these people!!! :barf01: It was awful. I dont know if I will ever get better, I hope so. Just accept your limits, and know that it does get better for most of the stuff. The first open wound I packed was hard, but it gets easier and easier.

Good luck!:monkeydance:

KristyBRN

:barf01: :barf01: :barf01:

This make me cringe. Ucckk. That is one thing I can't stand too. The sound of mucus gurgling through a trach is just nasty too. I get nauseous just thinking about it! I pray to God everyday to let me get through NS without having to suction a trach...............Let's just say after

3 blocks of NS I am soooooo thankful I did not go into respiratory therapy!! One of our clinical sites in Block 2 was absolute torture as far as mucus goes. You can breathe through your mouth but it is hard to cover up your ears indiscretely.:rotfl:

Specializes in Med-Surge.

I have learned to just look at the part that I'm dealing with. If I'm starting an IV then, I just focus on the hand or the arm. If there's a huge wound I just focus on that certain area. I had a hard time when I had a patient who had face cancer.

Specializes in Cardiac.
:barf01: :barf01: :barf01:

This make me cringe. Ucckk. That is one thing I can't stand too. The sound of mucus gurgling through a trach is just nasty too. I get nauseous just thinking about it! I pray to God everyday to let me get through NS without having to suction a trach...............Let's just say after

3 blocks of NS I am soooooo thankful I did not go into respiratory therapy!! One of our clinical sites in Block 2 was absolute torture as far as mucus goes. You can breathe through your mouth but it is hard to cover up your ears indiscretely.:rotfl:

I have yet to suction a trach-so there is hope! However, yesterday I had to throw out a cup that a pt had been hacking up her gunk into. It sloshed as I was throwing it into the trash. I tried like hell not to look at it. It was awful...

Hi OP...how have things progressed for you? I'm getting ready to start nursing school and feel the same way.l

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