I'm not sure...

Nurses General Nursing

Published

I have ALWAYS wanted to be a nurse! During my CNA clinicals I never had any trouble with anything that was asked of me and no trouble doing anything for a pt.

I've recently discovered that I have an issue when people vomit. I've dealt with this before and never had any trouble stomaching anything. However, my boyfriend was sickly recently, and the sound of it made my stomach turn!! I don't know if this is something only with family/friends? I wouldn't think that it's a good idea to have nurses who can't deal with those "dirtier" sides of the job. I'm sure I'm just freaking a little and worrying about starting nursing school (fear of failure...) as I've NEVER had an issue with this before. Anyway...any ideas on how to deal with seeing/hearing vomitting? (You all left some VERY NIFTY ideas on how to deal with the smell!!...Not much of an issue for me though!...But I never would have thought of those!) Or is this one of those "just suck it up and you'll get used to it" things?

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lol! Yes..I had some students in my class who couldn't even stand the sound of a suctioning machine, and would gag at the thought of suctioning.........none of that bothers me.....for me it's colostomy bags...........everytime I have emptied one I gag...one patient I actually vomited..and thankfully when I got into the pt's bathroom to empty the stuff into the toilet & believe me I felt awful butr I couldn't help it......I dunno..just something about it makes me retch & gag.......and I have no problem suctioning a trach or cleaning up major diarrhea....go figure.

I was always taught breath with your mouth and not your nose with stinky stuff........I never dealt with any patients vomiting during my clinicals.....guess I was lucky......... I would say you are fine......heck even human......give yourself a break!!!! Some things people deal with better than others......maybe over time you'll be fine .......you'll do fine I have confidence!! Good Luck!;)

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think of what you can do to help in the situation - fresh clean gown, fresh bedsheets, face cloth, rinse the mouth

(I was thinking of this recently after seeing {and hearing} a patient going through repeated vomiting - I don't like the image that I saw, so I think of things that could be done to help)

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Good idea ... I'll try that one.

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I work the med surg floor and by the time I take care of the patient, they are vomiting bile so it really does not bother me. But yes, the chuncky stuff I have a hard time with. Don't let that one thing stop you from nursing. You will do great.

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I have the sympathetic puke thing myself. And have in fact vomited in a patients room while they vomited. Even cleaning it up I get the heaves. I also have a problem with respiratory secretions. The sound of some one "hacking up a lugy" makes my stomack turn. I have a problem sometimes with suctioning and the sound it makes. When I have to do it frequently I get used to it, but if it's been awhile, I wear a mask and hopefully keep everything down. Anything else, I'm good.

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Specializes in Adolescent Psych, PICU.

I think there is one thing that bothes most of us. For me it is certain smells (namely poop) that I sometimes have a really hard time with. I work as a nurse tech and have to deal with this pretty often, heck everytime I'm at work, but I'm not going to give up....just get my masters! LOL JK!! Anywhere in healthcare your going to see something that bothers you. You can do it!

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