I can't get "poop" taste out of my mouth?

[Philly85]

Long story short, had 2nd clinical ever today and was assigned to a very edematous bed-bound pt with right-sided CHF. She had really bad skin breakdown and, as we were turning her to change the sheets, I felt like a lot of "debris" from the sheets went up into to the air. I could actually see it in the air. I wanted to slap the nurse b/c she wasn't being careful with them. Anyway, I feel like I definitely inhaled whatever "particles" these were and now I can't get the taste of "poop", for lack of a better word, out of my mouth.

Does skin break-down have a certain smell that mirrors feces? She had been using the bed-pan for her bowel movements, but I'm not sure if she had feces in between her skin folds or in the old sheets, b/c I wasn't on that side of her when turning her.

It is really rather unpleasant. I've tried brushing my teeth and mouth-washing and it has still come back on and off over the past few hours. UGH.

Am I crazy? What did I inhale? Should I be worried?

[brillohead, ADN, RN]

[dream'n, BSN, RN]

Ugh, cough, hack, gag! Those dry flaky skin particles do me in every time. It's like I can feel myself breathing them into my lungs, ugh. Glad to know that my fellow nurses understand

[TriciaJ, RN]

Wow, seriously you guys with all the hate? I was asking a serious question and NO IT'S NOT A DENTAL ISSUE. I floss every night and have perfect teeth and gums and have never had a cavity.

And YES, I wanted to slap the nurse, b/c we were taught that you are supposed to roll up the dirty bedding gently and so that the dirty side is on the inside, while having the dirty linens bin nearby, not just fling it all over the place and eventually onto the floor, causing debris to go everywhere.

The residual "taste" has mostly gone away, and I have several nurse friends who have confirmed that they have had this happen as well.

So, yeah, you can all get off your high horse. Jeez...

Wait - your second day of clinical and you're talking about a high horse? The nurse didn't do things the way you were taught? We were all taught stuff. Some of it even stuck. But if you're already wanting to slap people for not doing things the way you were taught - you've got a lo-o-o-ng career ahead of you. Or a really short one.

You're going to have to learn to laugh at poo. And yourself.

[Wuzzie]

And YES, I wanted to slap the nurse, b/c we were taught that you are supposed to roll up the dirty bedding gently and so that the dirty side is on the inside, while having the dirty linens bin nearby, not just fling it all over the place and eventually onto the floor, causing debris to go everywhere.

In my 30 years I have never once seen linen rolled "gently" or had the luxury of having a nearby dirty linen bag (ours are currently locked in the dirty utility room because, you know, aesthetics). To roll "gently" would take too much time leaving my patient uncomfortably positioned with their butt hanging out. The reason it's done quickly is to minimize stress on the patient and if that means pulling out the linen and tossing it on the floor so be it. Just because you were taught one way in nursing school doesn't necessarily make it right or other ways wrong. You're going to need to learn how to roll with the punches.

[datalore]

You're going to see many a coworker do things in a way that you don't prefer and/or that gets bodily stuff on you. It's not always carelessness or being incorrect. I've seen everything on that spectrum, like someone focused so much on the patient that they didn't realize they whipped the pee-soaked gown into their coworker's face instead of the hamper. Accident. Usually it's as simple as saying, "Oops, careful, that's going in my mouth," and that's enough to fix it.

[DeeAngel]

When changing or turning morbidly best people in bed, I wear a mask and glasses. I don't care who it offends, I have a right to protect myself. Always do this to prevent just what you're experienced. I have encountered some truly unholy things in my day from turning patients.

[Wuzzie]

When changing or turning morbidly best people in bed, I wear a mask and glasses. I don't care who it offends, I have a right to protect myself. Always do this to prevent just what you're experienced. I have encountered some truly unholy things in my day from turning patients.

Heck, I'd wear a full bio-hazard suit when removing thigh-high TED hose if they'd let me!

[ClaraRedheart, BSN, RN]

My very first clinical, I was tasked with giving a patient a bed bath (along with another student) We had just read about the danger of friction and shear, and had never worked in a hospital setting and were tentative. Fresh knee surgery. We could NOT get the gown undone. We called a passing-by nurse in who huffed and rolled her eyes at us to do something so simple (just cut the ties with her med-scissors). We finished. We were notified by the primary nurse later that the patient requested to NOT have students in her room again. I was a tiny bit offended, but really... now, I get it. Like your ridiculous perfect turning scenario, things do NOT happen beautifully and like in the text book in a hospital. Rather than come up with the solution to cut the gown, or even support the patient to sit up so we could untie it, we tried during a sloppily executed turn one to two times and then gave up. Sometimes things are not pretty, and they might hurt for a second, but you get things done efficiently. If your preceptor was a med-surg nurse, she likely had 2-3 other people waiting for things and a busy tech (or she wouldn't have been changing the bed by herself). Help more, whine less. You'll wish for the same grace from your students in the future when and if you get the privilege to have them to learn from your experience as a nurse.

[foggnm]

I worked in a trauma/surgical/burn ICU and I know exactly what you're talking about. I even have thought about introducing a nasal spray for nurses called 'No Scents' that you can use to spray in your nose after having to smell whatever bad smell it is. I figured it would contain some essential oils or other scents to override the receptors. If anyone wants to help bring this to market, private message me. You can use some vick's vapor rub or peppermint oil on your neck or something else equally pungent to get that sticky smell out of your airway/mouth/nose.

[Amethya]

I'm not a nurse, but a CMA. My first days of doing my internships at a major doctor's office, that had different specialties in one building. I had a turn at the orthopedics- sports medicine area. I had to help the lady that did casts do this cast on a elderly, heavy, diabetic lady. Poor thing was immobile, and extremely heavy looking, but we had to put her in a cast because of wounds she would get. After that, and seeing some things in OB, I become somewhat immune to some things, because I'm talking about dust of skin flakes flying around, trying to cut the old cast, and I probably swallowed some and horrible stink of cat pee and other stuff after opening that cast, that I had to learn to hold my breath so well and talk at the same time, I mastered it easily.

I'm sure you guys see more than I did, but I'm sure you'll get so immune to these things, it won't faze you anymore. Just keep at it and don't freak out because there's more to see. xD

[Skips, MSN, RN]

Aww, this reminds me of the very first time I did peri care in CNA class!

I had that smell in my nose for a week. But it wasn't really my nose, it was all in my head. Because I wasn't used to it.

You will get there.

Also, I wouldn't make comments like "I wanted to slap her!" on this site.

[kalycat, BSN, RN]

Sorry you got all the hate because I hear your frustration and fear. Still this part of your reply made me laugh so hard I almost peed myself. Granted I'm a crusty old bat with a weak bladder but that's a tale for another post.

You will soon learn that what you learn in nursing school and what happens in the real world of nursing where you are often doing bed/diaper changes and such by yourself with one hand behind your back is what really happens. I have worked L&D (A body fluids bonanza)

Hppy

Officially stealing "body fluids bonanza".

my first day on the floor alone after transferring from the OR, I was washing my hands at a sink station outside a patient's room. Just then, an overhead page from our monitor tech - the patient was reading asystole on the monitor. I ran in with wet hands, no time for gloves, and started compressions, calling a code.

What ensued was an extremely prolonged, messy code. The patient had become incontinent of stool, initially. In the process of getting the bed down in CPR position and the backboard placed, I got drenched in diarrhea. For some reason, we were short on Med students and residents that night, and all the nurses were taking turns with compressions.

The patient had had just come back from having a new chest port placed. After 15 minutes of compressions, a major leak was sprung. Blood everywhere. When anesthesia arrived to intubate, they tubed the goose on the first try, resulting in a vomit fountain. Since it was immediately after dinner, the patient had a full stomach.

The code went on for an hour and a half, with a poor outcome. We were all sweating profusely from CPR, and more than one code team member's deodorant quit halfway through. Family was present, screaming in the hallway as the body fluids bonanza progressed.

Luckily I had time to grab gloves at one point, but myself and several others walked out of there covered in unspeakable amounts of fluids. The person turning the patient for back board placement didn't mean to flail feces all over me. The RT didn't mean to send vomit flying and hit the code captain in the face while she was trying to suction.

Stool happens. We could have used picture perfect technique, but adrenaline was high. I wanted a bleach shower after, but I needed to perform postmortem care and clean up the scene so the family could see their loved one.

I always carry vicks. Nurses have a wide variety of techniques and skill sets. No one is perfect. Keep your eyes open and learn. Some people are brought your way to show you how to do things. Some people the universe sends to you so you can learn how NOT to practice. Either way, embrace it and reserve judgment. The oppprtunites for learning are endless.