RN for a year and still get sick

[NurseDeroko]

Hi i'm new to forums in general and Nursing too. I have been an RN for a year now on a Med/Surg/Telemetry unit. It's a great floor to gain experience on. We really get a wide range of patients and i'm learning something new everyday. Problem is...i'm getting bored and want to see what else is out there in nursing. I'm scared to try ICU or even the ER. But i know i want to expand my horizons. I think my reluctance lies in the fact that i have passed out a couple times as a Student nurse and almost once the other day. A doc was trying to perform a bedside thorocotomy? he tried to put in a chest tube, anyway, i was fine watching him make the incision, he then put his fingers in the incision and was feeling around and the patient was is such pain, i began to feel as though i were to pass out. So i asked him to leave and i drank some OJ and went back in, he then said the procedure could not be done at bedside, it needed to be performed in the OR. I felt like....less of a nurse because of this. I want to get over this feeling. How many others still get lightheaded? i'm just curious.

[bethin]

Hi i'm new to forums in general and Nursing too. I have been an RN for a year now on a Med/Surg/Telemetry unit. It's a great floor to gain experience on. We really get a wide range of patients and i'm learning something new everyday. Problem is...i'm getting bored and want to see what else is out there in nursing. I'm scared to try ICU or even the ER. But i know i want to expand my horizons. I think my reluctance lies in the fact that i have passed out a couple times as a Student nurse and almost once the other day. A doc was trying to perform a bedside thorocotomy? he tried to put in a chest tube, anyway, i was fine watching him make the incision, he then put his fingers in the incision and was feeling around and the patient was is such pain, i began to feel as though i were to pass out. So i asked him to leave and i drank some OJ and went back in, he then said the procedure could not be done at bedside, it needed to be performed in the OR. I felt like....less of a nurse because of this. I want to get over this feeling. How many others still get lightheaded? i'm just curious.

Welcome!

I have a strong stomach and procedures don't bother me, however, if I get close to a pt I do feel lightheaded. Some may think it's cold, but I try not to think of them personally but rather as a pt who needs this procedure done to get better. Once the procedures done I can treat them like I usually do. It works for me. Could that be your problem?

Watch, but don't think of what the dr is doing. That doesn't make sense but don't think of the dr rooting around in you and how it must feel if it was you.

Do you feel like your having anxiety/panic attacks? I get those and was prescribed a rx and it has helped decrease the occurance.

DO NOT think less of yourself. I'm sure every nurse has had a episode like yours. Feeling faint does not make you less of a nurse, providing horrible care and not caring makes you a bad nurse and you don't sound like you do either.