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

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Mar 6, 2017

I think that as experienced nurses we need to offer support to those entering the profession. "Suck it up buttercup" isn't necessarily the most supportive action we can take as mentors.

OP....nursing is unlike any other profession. It takes getting used to....I always used a mask and vicks under my nose or peppermint oil on a mask to help with those less than pleasant smells. I also carries a pocket spray of Ozium.......it cleared many smells.

You do "get used" to a certain amount but pregnancy was my Achilles heel....nothing helped and I spent time in the bathroom. I had to go out on early leave for hyperemesis due to smells...LOL

NurseBeans, BSN, RN, EMT-B · Mar 7, 2017

Don't be such a baby, for crying out loud. My first five minutes of my first ever clinicals involved me kneeling on the floor facing a LTC male resident's behind while attempting to clean feces off of the longest set of testicles imaginable, (seriously they nearly went down to his knees) while he hurled insults at his roommate who wouldn't stop singing! Nursing is a whole different animal. Seriously, suck it up butter cup!

This...this made my night. Thank you. OMG. :roflmao:

joleneliddell · Mar 12, 2017

"However, just because I don't have any experience doesn't preclude me from being allowed to be annoyed. If I were a nurse with 20 yrs experience, everyone on here would probably say 'omg, I know I hate when people do that', instead of smacking me down b/c of lack of experience."

... weeeeell the key difference here.. nurses of 20+ years experience, I imagine, "vent" about serious issues (they prioritize.. ya know pick and choose their battles) opposed to getting so mad/ frustrated they'd imagine slapping someone who took the time to teach them valuable real world nursing skills.

As a cna I've experienced "poo dust" and skin debris. I've been peed on, stepped in poop, stabbed by a psych patient, had people with mrsa cough in my face, had people with the flu sneeze on me, touch me, and cough in my face. I had a woman with shingles rub her rash on me, accidentally of course. I'm sure I've been vomited on and have had to clean up every kind of bodily fluid imaginable.. how did you react in front of the patient? Did you throw a fit like you did on this post? That would be unacceptable..

Sheets get thrown, they get tossed around and crap sometimes flies around. You are thinking that theory = practice.. poor reasoning on your part and frankly the part of your nursing school. They need to prepare you for the real world BETTER. Theory does not = practice. Practice is practice and theory is theory. This reasoning is for practical purposes (like time management and patient care- avoiding mass neglect and med errors, etc.), test time theory is the way to go. Has no one told you this before? You are not lowering a standard of care.. I mean REALLY when bathing yourself would you fold the wash cloth over every time you wiped your own skin?? No. Well.. probably not 100% necessary to do then (and a time suck) when giving a bed bath before you have meds to run and a million other things to do. Sheesh.. that's exactly why nursing schools encourage prospective students to become CNAs FIRST before they decide to pursue nursing careers.

My cna clothes and shoes would come off as I hit the door going into my house. Shoes stayed outside. The first thing I did was throw my clothes in the washing machine, take a shower, then run the washing machine with my scrubs twice.. why? Because it's a nasty job.. and I don't like walking around my house with poo dust falling onto everything. But seriously.. of all the things to complain about.. just make sure your eyes don't start to itch because poo dust in the eyes causes pink eye ;o

joleneliddell · Mar 12, 2017

@jeastridge Not a nurse. Former CNA, stay at home mom, going to nursing school soon (waiting on my acceptance letter!!)

There is a definite smell of death, I've come across it many times. Also that last tarry black bm a hospice patient may have.. unforgettable. But that brings me to a point- idk without being able to experience my patient fully (gross smells and all) I would be doing that patient a disservice as a health care professional. For example, if I were to wear a mask going into stinky rooms.. I may miss the ripe smell of infection. If I smelled infection I would check for it, if I didn't smell it- it has a better chance of going overlooked by myself and countless others until someone (finally) notices it. At that point, how bad has the infection gotten? Idk just a 4am insomniac thought..

Ben_Dover · Mar 14, 2017

Long story short...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?

I'm a little bit concerned about your situation and the symptoms being exhibited.

Some people have suggested that you go and visit your dentist. If you have done that and you're still tasting the "poop", for lack of a better word, out of your mouth."

The next step, I'd do is, check with your MD, if you are allowed to have Mag. Citrate; perhaps, a little stronger might help, and that would be drinking a gallon of Go-lytely, and since you're already on it, follow it up with a warm soap suds enema.

If none of these works, since you've, already done the first steps, look-up, just in case you missed it. This time, check with your MD if you are allowed to have an endoscopy or colonoscopy.

I hope that solves your problem! Please, do, keep us posted!

Philly85 · Mar 15, 2017

I'm a little bit concerned about your situation and the symptoms being exhibited.
Some people have suggested that you go and visit your dentist. If you have done that and you're still tasting the "poop", for lack of a better word, out of your mouth."
The next step, I'd do is, check with your MD, if you are allowed to have Mag. Citrate; perhaps, a little stronger might help, and that would be drinking a gallon of Go-lytely, and since you're already on it, follow it up with a warm soap suds enema.
If none of these works, since you've, already done the first steps, look-up, just in case you missed it. This time, check with your MD if you are allowed to have an endoscopy or colonoscopy.
I hope that solves your problem! Please, do, keep us posted!

It went away after 1-2 days.

Nursiepoo01 · Mar 15, 2017

I'm sorry you got a bunch of snide responses! I think our nurse friends forgot to take their meds today!

Anyways, yes, this is real...for me I found it is like embedded in my nose hairs! haha I blow and blow but doesn't go

away. VICKS under my nose for a day works. ALSO, be mindful in the future because it WILL happen again and note the

"SOCK" removal comments. The reality is real....hang in there!

BlackMagicGypsy · Mar 16, 2017

1) I will never forget the smell of a uterine cancer. Ever. And that's not even the worst.

2) My first clinical rotation at an LTC got the smell of old, sick people and oatmeal stuck in my nose. I scrubbed myself raw to get rid of that smell....

3) I thought I'd be used to hospital smell by now (yay second semester!) but I'm not! The smell of artificial citrus makes me irrationally angry because it smells like work! And why/how does all hospital food manage to smell the same....yuck

BlackMagicGypsy · Mar 16, 2017

I smell infected/necrotic foot wounds all day (I work for a podiatrist) and I still prefer that to the smell of hospital food and that weird scent old folks get when they haven't had a proper shower in a few days.

Alnitak7 · Mar 16, 2017

I always carried those big eucalyptus cough drops for situations like this. They have a really strong taste and smell that tends to over power what I don't like.

2moYearsofHell · Mar 19, 2017

Probably smelled it, but since the cranial nerve 5, the trigeminal has the smell and taste branches,they converge at the same root right before entering your brain. Leading your brain to mistranslate/misdirect some of the incoming signals? That would be my guess

nicolewhite192 · May 2, 2017

I had this happened to me as well back in 2008.. but I still have the problem how do I get rid of it