Almost passed out during clinicals!!

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I'm a second year nursing student, and am currently in my med surg rotation at clinicals. The hospital I'm in now is much more exciting and learning oriented than the previous hospital I had been in. That being said, I'm seeing a lot more than I ever have. Yesterday, I was watching a nurse remove a catheter from a patient's jugular vein in the cardiac step-down unit. I was ok at first, but as she was putting pressure on the neck I started to feel dizzy. I tried to think about other things and looked away from the patient, but that didn't help. I began to fall over and almost blacked out. Luckily my friend was standing next to me and got me in a chair before that happened. I had one of those ensure nutrition drinks and a few scoops of cereal pre-clinical, and only had 3 hours of sleep, but I think the actual removal was what made me faint. Afterwards, one of the nurses was smirking at me and said something like "idk, that's like a sailor being afraid of water." This obviously didnt help my confidence at all as I was already second guessing myself. Has anyone else ever experienced something like this?? Is there hope to get over it? I'm just scared it will keep happening..

My first day of clinicals it took me 5 hours to go into the patients room... I skiped all her morning meds until noon cuz i was way too afraid of taking her vital signs...once i get the currage ( and my teacher literly pushong me in with the machine) to enter the room... The patient who only spoke chinese stares at me opens her legs and what do i have staging in the face the most hairy Vag*na i have ever seen and the lady starts screaming at me and pulling on her urinary cathether which i had no idea what it was at the time loll 3 months into my nursing studies... i ran right out and just panicked...ran to my teacher and told her i was done and disnt want to come back...So yeah... Loll dont worry...im now a graduate of may 2012 and full time working nurse and absolutely LOVE my job... Sure people and clinicals are gonna be hard on you and you WILL second guess yourself... But do yourself a favor... If it is your true calling just put everything asside and just beleive un yourself...!

Blood & guts totally gave me the hee bee gee bees b/f nursing school. I was told by my best friend's dad, who was a plastic/reconstructive surgeon, not to let that hold me back from pursuing a career in health care b/c you get over it. Even while in nursing school, I passed out while getting my own blood drawn. My gag reflex still works, but I'm over the passing out. :woot:

You'll be okay. Good luck.

I am a second year as well. The other day a nurse was watching a fellow student of min remove a PICC and she almost blacked out. This is something she does frequently but she said she had never really thought about doing it while she was doing it. She has been a nurse for 15 years. I figure if it can happen to her it can happen to anyone. A couple of weeks ago I was watching an ECT treatment which was done in a tiny closet of a room and I almost passed out because I was feeling so claustrophobic. Luckily I made it out of the room and sat outside the door for a few minutes and was fine. The nurse that said that to you was out of line. That's what they mean when they say nurses eat their young. Don't be too hard on yourself. Just remember this experience when you are working with students after you become a nurse!

Specializes in CMSRN.

You are so normal! I think I'm the abnormal one because I had a blast watching surgery and a lady partsl delivery without the slightest hint of an issue. Of course I also like watching surgical procedures on TV so I think it's just something crazy about me. :)

That being said, I almost saw a fellow student pass out. We were watching a lady partsl delivery last semester and she has never given birth. I couldn't wipe the silly grin off my face and she looked gray as could be. She held tight on to my arm and steadied herself. When it was all over she excused herself to get a juice and a snack and felt much better after. New experiences are overwhelming and we only encouraged her that she was just fine and totally normal. Good luck!

Specializes in PEDS.

that B was just being rude and likes to put people down. i'm sorry she said that. my RN friend told me to always have a good breakfast with protein and iron (sprouted bread, egg whites, oatmeal, some kind of green and WATER!). the lack of sleep will definitely do that to you too. i had nurses telling me they still put vapor rub under their noses to avoid nausea or carry a cotton ball with lavender to smell to avoid feeling faint. i'm sorry that happened, but don't let it discourage you.

GET IT, GIRL!

Two weeks ago, I almost fainted. I volunteer in the ER. I got to watch a doc insert a central catheter and arterial line. We were all wearing the isolation gowns. I was asked to hold pressure on the artery which he had poked unsuccessfully. After about 45 minutes of being in the room and holding pressure for 10 minutes, I started to feel the heat and almost went down. The RN caught me as I asked to get so e cold water. She was very supportive and didn't degrade me but she shared her experience of fainting in the ER. The doc asked me before if I was doing okay after the blood started spurting. Funny thing is I said I am fine with blood but squish a bug in front of me and I will get sick. I say it was the heat in the room and gown.

Specializes in ER trauma, ICU - trauma, neuro surgical.

Remember that nurses eat their young. That nurse probably had someone make witty, smart !@# comments to her when she was younger and she couldn't wait to ridicule someone when it was her time. As you've read, everyone has had a couple of embarrassing experiences. There's a lot of ego in the hospital. Don't worry about.

I am in level 3 and during my L&D rotation I got light headed and clammy watching an epidural being started. But I can do wound care easily without having an issues. Funny how something we don't think will bother us is the one thing that does. Just ready for December to be here so I can be done with nursing school.

Ok, so I said a couple days ago (srsly... like, 2 days ago on this thread) that I'd never had a 'faint' moment, but I had one today.... yikes. I take metformin (for PCOS, not diabetic) but wasnt able to eat breakfast. Anyhow, standing in a patient room, passing out meds (nothing icky or gross or anything!!!) and I about hit the floor with a nurse, another student, and 2 patients in the room. Did a finger stick, they sat me down and made me have some OJ and a granola bar.... not a big deal, but I was pretty embarrased... AND THEN.... about half an hour later I tripped over another patient's O2 hose, about did a face plant while dang near pulling this poor guy outta bed. I was ready to go home for the day after that.... ha!

Oh no!!! Haha I jinxed you!! It can be so embarrassing to fall/trip/faint especially in front of patients. My clinical instructor put me back on the step down unit tomorrow to help me get over my squeamishness, so wish me luck!! Lol I'll need it, I'm scared it will happen again. I definitely don't want to be known as "the girl who passes out". But I am kind of excited to see how it goes tomorrow. Fingers crossed :)

Within the first 5 minutes of being at clinicals today I had to watch the same procedure that made me almost pass out the first time. I MADE IT!! I was so excited. I still got a little hot and sweaty but it was before the nurse even removed the dressing so I think I was just panicking that I would pass out again. I ended up being absolutely fine. My confidence is back!! Thank all of you guys so much for sharing your stories. I kept them all in the back of my mind and used them for encouragement. Couldn't have done it alone :)

Specializes in OB/GYN, Peds, School Nurse, DD.

When I was a very young nurse(about 21) I was doing evening care on a sweet LOL when a small mouse ran over my foot. I screamed and next thing I knew I was kneeling ON THE BED at my patient's feet with my white dress uniform up around my hips! :o I don't know who was more surprised, me or her. I extricated myself from her covers and tried to regain some dignity, but really? And I was wearing hot pink underwear with bunnies on them *oy~* After a few moments of silence, this sweet lady burst out laughing and said, "You just made my day." :bag: Always glad to oblige...

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