[fotografe]

Last night I was in the ER with my 5 y/o daughter, who had rolled out of bed and nearly put her teeth clean through her lip. As the doctor and nurse were beginning to numb up her lip for stitches, she was fighting like a wildcat and crying like crazy. I was helping to hold her still, and was right in there during the shots and stitches. As the doc was tying the last knot, I thought to myself, boy that didn't bother me at all, in fact it was quite interesting. Then all of a sudden I got light headed and the "Wobbling Mom" squad came running in to keep me from hitting the floor like a ton of bricks. Do you think I got all woozy due to the fact it was my own kid, or I am just too much of a wimp for this biz?

I previously had a phobia of needles, but those don't seem to bother me anymore. I gave blood on Saturday, watched everything and didn't have a problem at all. Anybody else have an experience like this?

[manna]

I was terrified of needles - much less sticking someone with one - before I started nursing school. I get lightheaded if I watch when I'm giving blood. It makes me physically ill to see my children have to undergo medical procedures.

For me, I find there's a BIG difference between when something is happening to me/one of my family members vs. a patient. I haven't had any problems in clinical so far.. *knock on wood*

There's something to be said for increased tolerance with increased exposure, as well...

I've heard it mentioned on this board and in "real life" in the past that even nurses are prone to periods of faintness.

Good luck!

[webblarsk]

I think when its your own child it affects you much differently. I can handle alot more with my patients than my own child. So....No I don't think your a wimp.

[bsnrnoh]

It is very different when it is your own family. I had seen many CVA pts and been present during CVA/TIAs, but when it was my own husband it freaked me out. I kept just calm enough to call 911. (and he is fine now, this was 3 years ago and he is back to work with no residual effects)

You are not a wimp, you are a caring mother.

[luv your nurse]

I had my first "medication" Lab at school, and got so wheezy, my friends had to walk me to the gurny, and help me lay doen (with the dummy), so i layed there thinking how am i going to do this...but now i am able to give shots, start IV's and stay calm, i still pass out when they take blood..

so i agree with everyone, when its hapening to you, its a world of differance. also, you had a lot af adrenaline, and you could have been in there on an empty stomach, who knows, i believe it would happen to many RN's when it is concerning family or loved ones.

[agent]

Originally Posted by manna

I was terrified of needles - much less sticking someone with one - before I started nursing school. I get lightheaded if I watch when I'm giving blood. It makes me physically ill to see my children have to undergo medical procedures.

For me, I find there's a BIG difference between when something is happening to me/one of my family members vs. a patient. I haven't had any problems in clinical so far.. *knock on wood*


Good luck!

I'm so excited to hear you are in clinicals already manna!

I have had this same worry as I have had bouts of faintness in the past.

I'm hoping I can "be a man" and suck it up LOL

[Fun2Care]

Originally Posted by luv your nurse

I had my first "medication" Lab at school, and got so wheezy, my friends had to walk me to the gurny, and help me lay doen (with the dummy), so i layed there thinking how am i going to do this...but now i am able to give shots, start IV's and stay calm, i still pass out when they take blood..

so i agree with everyone, when its hapening to you, its a world of differance. also, you had a lot af adrenaline, and you could have been in there on an empty stomach, who knows, i believe it would happen to many RN's when it is concerning family or loved ones.

The first pt. I did a venipuncture on during my medical assisting externship fainted during the procedure. The next time she came in to the office, the Dr. asked her if she wanted another nurse to do it (as if I had done something wrong.) The pt. told the Dr. no, and that I was wonderful. However...........I made her lay down on an exam table in one of the pt. rooms. ..just in case lol (She didn't pass out again.) So, from then on out, she told whichever nurse called her back that she needed to lay down to get her blood drawn.

[VivaLasViejas]

You are NOT a wimp. I can deal with all kinds of nasty stuff with patients, but when it comes to my own family, I've been known to get lightheaded and even nauseated It's just different when it's your loved one, and especially your child.

I almost passed out once years ago when my oldest daughter, then 12, had to have a lumbar puncture......since I was in nursing school, the pediatrician thought I'd appreciate the learning experience, so she invited me to assist. Well, I thought I was going to be OK, but the moment I saw that looooooong needle headed for my little girl's back, I suddenly discovered that my legs had turned to Jell-O, and I began to wilt. Luckily the nurse noticed me slip-sliding away and got me a stool to sit down on; after that, I just held Amanda and looked the other way!

To this day, I still don't want to be present when my spouse or kids get "stuck". I'm not even sure I want to be in the room when my grandbaby arrives this summer.......it's not the blood & yucky stuff that bothers me, it's the pain and suffering that's happening to someone I love, and I guess I just don't have the stomach for it.

[nursypoo]

i have worked in a hospital for almost 5 yrs and been a rn for almost 2 yrs. when i 1st started out working at the hospital, i would get wobbly and light-headed from seeing the smallest things. the more i saw and got used to it, the better i became. i am fine now. also what kind of nursing are you thinking about going into? in the er, you will probably see a lot of stuff like that. i work on a peds neuro flr. i think that you will be fine. try being a nurses aid 1st and see how that goes.

[fotografe]

Thanks for all of your stories and words of encouragement. I am glad to hear that you can "get used" to seeing things like this, although I will concentrate on handholding the next time one of the kids is in the er. I will divert my gaze to something much more benign.