How do you get through the "gross" stuff?

Nurses New Nurse

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I'm staring a BSN program this January.. I currently work at a hospital, and job shadowed with Respiratory a few months ago. Anyway, I watched two surgeons perform a tracheotomy on a 16 yo who was involved in a MVA.

I have NEVER seen any major medical procedure performed, nor was I exactly sure what I would be observing.

I was ok for about the first 30 minutes of the procedure, then I started to get hot, and my field of vision got really narrow! It was time to get out of the room. I excused myself from the procedure, and came back in about 10 minutes and was fine.

Is it normal to feel like this as you are seeing these types of things that are new to you? Also, how long did it take you until you were more comfortable with invasive type procedures, injuries, "gross things", etc?

Any advice/feedback would be great! I'm a little concerned about starting clinicals next semester...:uhoh21:

Thanks!

Diane

I know that personally I can't do anything invasive with eyes (yuck).

This is mine too - in fact, I've got a test Monday on eyes/ears and I'm putting off studying for it because just READING about the various eye disorders makes mine start to itch and run. My classmates all think its the funniest thing in the world. Just typing it is making it happen now.

I will never be able to work for an ophthamologist!

Amanda

When I worked as a CST in the OB OR, it used to freak me out when we'd do a section with some of the older Docs; post delivery, they would flip the uterus out and up on the pt's tummy to suture it, AND the pt would have an epidural and be talking, holding her baby, etc-one pt actually moved her legs once. Way Freaky. But other than that, you just get used to most everything-immersion therapy, I guess; and the stuff you that "gets" you, well, you learn your limits and how to deal; Mine is bad smells ( I work ACCU now as a RN)-I use a trusty facemask with toothpaste smeared in it.....

Specializes in ICU, telemetry, LTAC.
In clinicals I spent one day at an OBGYN clinic in a very poor area of Mississippi. I was observation only. The doc was foreign (sorry, can't remember country of origin) and was very demeaning to every pt we saw. I have no idea why he chose to be an OBGYN. We had a young girl, maybe 14? all alone and no family support with a foul smelling STD plus he was snipping off samples of what he told her was likely cancer. This child was TERRIFIED and crying. He was yelling at her to "stop blubbering, you got yourself into this" and "I am not hurting you it is your imagination" - it was awful. I was trying to comfort her and he chewed me up one side and down the other. Between the central heating, the smells, her crying, and my stress level I started to black out. My knees got weak and I just had to get out of there. I stepped into the hall for about a minute where it was cooler then was fine and went back in. He told me I had no buisness going to nursing school among other things including "stupid women" when I went back in. :o It was the only time I have felt sick.

Just FYI. Having things snipped off the insides, of either the lady parts or the cervix, hurts worse than anything except root canals and labor pains. When your cervix hurts it seems to cause everything in your lower abdomen to tie itself in a knot, causing nausea, possible diarrhea, fainting, sweating, and the cramps from out of this world. I think hurting one's back might be worse but don't know about that as I haven't done it yet. So I just have no respect for a doc who would do this procedure on a minor without at least some pain medication on board for the patient.

I have no doubt that she was hurting. He was such an awful man. I was very young, ignorant, and powerless. I did discuss this with my clinical instructor. Another student that was in the clinic that day backed me up. She did nothing, b/c she didn't want to lose the right to bring students in b/c "all experiences are learning experiences" :angryfire

Specializes in Med Surg, Hospice, Home Health.

oh yeah, you are normal...I was fine in clinicals until I witnessed a lady partsl birth...sucking chest wound, no problem, but lady partsl birth, I've got to sit down and put my head between my knees while sipping orange juice...

I had a patient that had a huge abd wound, he was quite obese and I got through the 4 times daily dressing changes by telling myself it was thanksgiving and I was stuffing a turkey!!! weird, yes, but got me through it...also if you breathe through your mouth it isn't quite as bad, cause you can't smell anything.

good luck to you

linda

Specializes in Psych.

Well, I'm proof that you can get used to things. I have always had a thing about sharps and blood. I can't stand IV's, blood drawn, even Accu-chek. So I just completed my first semester of clinicals and OF COURSE I had to watch these things and give injections. I did feel woozy on my first Accu-chek but I just did more and more and then it was NO BIG DEAL. I am confident that I will be fine when I have to do the more advanced skills. It was really a rush to conquer my fear! The CNA's were so nice to me, too, once they saw that I wanted to learn. Also some of the things I thought would bother me didn't. I saw many stage IV ducub's and as long as they weren't too smelly or bloody, I was OK, even the first day.

Specializes in Med Surg, ER, OR.

This child was TERRIFIED and crying. He was yelling at her to "stop blubbering, you got yourself into this" and "I am not hurting you it is your imagination" - it was awful. - Kind of sounds like Dr. House on FOX!

I've seen it advised to use Vick's Vapor Rub if the smells bother you. - Vicks works wonders if the smell bothers you and just a little dab will do ya. We had a student in one of my classes use some for a dissection, but she used so much that other students began getting queasy because of the smell.

I know one thing works for me...sounds crazy, but I chew gum if I know it's going to be nasty. - I have heard this works also...but think about this. The smell you are trying to avoid might stick with you longer becuase that smell can actually embed itself into the gum. NASTY! I think the smell of poo might be better than tasting poo.

I saw part of a laproscopic gastric bypass....all the sudden I felt really hot the the room started to fade and I knew I was going to pass out so I asked if I could leave the room...but I didn't make it. I passed out....it was one of the most embarrassing things that has ever happened to me! I told them I was fine but them made me go to the ER and made a huge deal out of it....lol, it was terrible!

Specializes in PeriOp, ICU, PICU, NICU.

I will keep the gum advice in mind, thanks for sharing.

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