nasty smells

use the vicks vapor inhaler, it works great. With the nasty of smells it helps take the edge off. Its very discreet when you use it, looks like chapstick , when its in your pocket.

Man I sure could have used that this past weekend!!

Totally works.

I chew STRONG mint gum. Helps keep me distracted, too.

Yup. It does.

i think you just get used to it. i had one lady with a colostomy bag when i was a fresh new cna and it took me about an hour to clean it (59 minutes of gagging and 1 minute of cleaning). now i can almost have my face right in it and nothing happens. i almost don't even gag at cdiff anymore. amazing how much you can get used to....

I know the lady in the video says never act like you smell anything, but wouldn't that loosen the situation up for you and the patients? Like "yuk, yuk, yuk, god dogs, whewww! had a good lunch huh?" (depending on how patient responds to some opening interactions of course)

Just talking to them without trying not to breath might be a pleaseant change. It might cheer up other patients as well depending on social mix. Of course if you are rushed, it may slow you down too.

But when there is a time to interact in a jovial mood without pretensing to effectively lie in a sense, it does not seem taboo: a little complex socially maybe (but with a 250 lb linebacker size man, gonna be that anyway). Talking seems appropriate, and if the occassion was right with the patient, there should be some way to relieve the pressure for them: kind of like laughing when you get chiropractically adjusted so you do not tense up and hurt yourself at the wrong time. Its got to be a tense moment for them.

Unfortunately, I think I'll do fine without the CNA job 'too' early before RN school, but have already thought about it long enough (from this site) that I don't even think twice about it. It will be interesting, but not that much. I would just want to be efficient as possible and have a professional technique that puts the patient at ease. Like remembering epithelial tissue names and locations, I'll have to have a constant repertoire of tasteful jokes to put them at ease.

You guys are my hero.

I never found Colostomy bags to be so bad. You won't find this in LTC, but if you are in hospital, a GI bleed is probably the worst smell you will encounter (it's the worst odor I have ever encountered and you actually learn to tell that someone has this just by smell). That's life in the post-op/oncology unit......

yes it does! My Pappaw used it for animals that he didn't want to breed or have fighting. They had no idea each other existed as long as the Vicks was on their little noses. My boyfriend is an electrician and working at a dog and cat food factory right now. They use giant blocks of thawed animal parts that are so horrid, he spent the first couple of days throwing up. Vicks saved his life.

I hope it works that well for you too!!