Being an RN is there a lot of blood and guts???

Reno1978, BSN, RN · May 14, 2009

Things that I would have thought would have totally grossed me out prior to becoming a nurse are just all in a day's work now...your mindset really changes from responding with "THAT'S GROSS!! to "What can I do to fix this?"

nerdtonurse?, BSN, RN · May 14, 2009

Reno's right. I gag when I cut up a chicken, but I can dress stage 4 decubes (and have to with depressing frequency) without a single burp. I think the mental shift is that you can do something about the venous stasis ulcers, or decubes, or surgical sites, and you have a purpose. If I came up on a car accident that was blood and guts, I'd probably puke if they were dead and jump in and start apply pressure to bleeders if they were alive.

When you get a really bad GI bleed ... that's your test.

Reno1978, BSN, RN · May 14, 2009

When you get a really bad GI bleed ... that's your test.

I wholeheartedly agree. One-way ticket to Gagsville, coming up! - :barf02:

MassED, BSN, RN · May 14, 2009

Hey I'm taking prereques to join the RN program, but everytime I tell someone I'm going to be an RN they tell me that it's all blood and guts. I know certain fields like ER or surgery is a lot of blood, but are there certain fields where there's not so much blood. What do you call those departments.. I'm not big on seeing compound fractures or really crazy lacirations. But I really do want to help people get better..
Thanks,
RJ

you can always try Psych, then - but there's always the chance of seeing some unsightly things (i.e. bodily fluids, for instance). If you go into nursing, you have to expect that. If you're trying to avoid all of that, maybe go into education of some kind.

April, RN, BSN, RN · May 14, 2009

It sounds like you don't like trauma related blood and guts? That's how I am. I could never work in the ED. I don't know what I'd do if I ever saw someone's intestines or a foreign object in someone's head. However, I deal with chest tubes, drains, surgical wounds, every body fluid imaginable... and it doesn't phase me. It's just different for some reason!

SexyRN2Be · May 15, 2009

I read some of those messages, pretty damn funny....

TuTonka · May 15, 2009

Only when having to deal with management:argue:

Spoken like a true floor nurse:yeah: :yeah: :yeah: :yeah: :yeah: :yeah: :yeah: :yeah: :yeah: :yeah:

TuTonka lolololol

Virgo_RN, BSN, RN · May 15, 2009

Oh, yes!!! Blood and guts galore!!!

....oh, wait.....blood and guts is bad?

LilRedRN1973 · May 21, 2009

I LOVE blood and guts...hence my going into a trauma ICU right after graduation. But now I'm in dialysis and I don't get to deal with any of that stuff...bummer. I mean, the only blood you deal with is when cannulating a fistula with a 14g needle and sometimes they squirt a little. The blood is contained in the dialysis lines and dialyzer, there are no guts, no poop, no sputum, and for the most part, no emesis. Very clean and orderly....sigh. So that's an area to look at if you want to work regular hours, no nights, no weekends, no holidays, great pay, great patients (for the most part), and don't want to deal with hospital administration in addition to the blood and guts. It can be monotonous at timer, but I enjoy the rapport I have with my patients and love the fact I get to actually do some patient teaching....something that is very difficult when your patient is on a norcuron drip and tubed. Not much opportunity for teaching there (although teaching the family was always enjoyable for me).

There are several areas of nursing that don't deal with blood, guts, etc. School nursing, community nursing, dialysis, psych (for the most part), telemetry, correctional nursing, etc. You just have to find an area that fits you!