passing out

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this was my first semester of clinical, yesterday was my last before break. i have not had any problems like feeling faint AT ALL. yesterday i was doing a wet to dry dressing change with my clinical instructor and another student. the patient had terrible ulcers on her lower leg, and after we had removed all of the 4x4s, i started feeling very hot and light headed! i was surprised because i wasn't even really that grossed out or anything. i went and sat down in a chair in the room, in order to first of all, prevent passing out, and secondly, in hope that it would go away if i sat for a few minutes. after a few minutes when it didn't go away, i told my clinical instructor how i felt. she took me out of the room and put me in the nurses meeting room and got 2 other students to take care of me. by this point i was so hot that i felt like sweat was dripping off of me, i almost missed the chair, and my vision was really spotted. my friends luckily took great care of me, got me some cold water, a cold wash cloth, and some saltine crackers. after sitting for about 10 minutes i began to feel better, but i am just wondering if anyone has any advice about getting over this so it doesn't happen again. i just don't understand because i wasn't really THAT grossed out, and i don't understand because it only seemed to get worse AFTER i left the room. if anyone has any advice for dealing with this it would be highly appreciated!

i dont feel so bad now. i still dont know if my fainting feeling was being grossed out even though i wasent thinking or feeling that way or a hypoglycemic episode. ill have to do something else super gross and find out lol im sure it will happen soon enough.

nope, not pregnant.

breakfast is a major problem for me. i hate eating early in the morning/ right after i wake up, and having 7 am clinicals, 6 is just too early for me to eat a lot! i always force myself to at least have a granola bar or some fruit but i definitely don't eat enough for breakfast.

You know I had a very similar response to an ulcer two weeks ago. I had to take some deep breaths and look away. It was my first time seeing a really bad ulcer, that ate away at the bottom and the scrotum. He had no feeling in the that area.... After awhile, I was able to tolerate the site and assist with the dressing change. The nurse told me that I had not seen anything as of yet. I cannot imagine seeing worst

I have fainted twice since I've been in nursing school, and now I am so terrified of fainting again that I think just willing myself not to will probably make me faint. I seriously hope it goes away. I have my first OB rotation next week and I am scared out of my mind to see a baby come out because I'm afraid I'll hit the floor again. At this point, I don't think it's gross stuff that's making me faint, it's anxiety...and it's seriously putting a damper on my self-confidence and my hopes of becoming a nurse. It's made me second-guess myself nearly everyday. I hope I can overcome this.

I got so sick during trach's one semister. I felt it coming on during the film, and then when we went into lab I had to sit down. I have learned to not lock my knees, slow down my respirations, and like others have said EAT!

Well, this is my first post, but I knew this was one I had to give my 2 cents. It is my second semester in nursing school and I have had three near fainting episodes. One was not related to anything upsetting or gross and the other two were. Anyway, I started having a real fear of when will it happen again, so I decided to get help. Luckily, I go to a large university so they have a great student health department. I went to see a physician to see if it is a physical problem and it wasn't. So then, I started seeing a psychologist to start cognitive behavioral therapy. Basically, she is slowly exposing me to uncomfortable things for me, like watching a video of surgery and then practicing techniques to keep my anxiety level under control. The reason I was told the near fainting was happening was because my body is going into "fight or flight" and then once that feeling is alleviated some, I get hypotensive and then that is when you feel like fainting. I was told two things to help while in the situation...1) hydrate very well on clinical days because if your fluid volume is high, then you will not be as hypotensive, 2) tense or pump your calves and arms to get the blood from the venous system back to the heart, so it can get back to your head. I guess that is it for now. I am hoping the exposure therapy will help me soon. Sorry this is long...but this thread hits close to home for me!:wink2:

Happened to me twice.....so far. The first time I was watching a child get his hand stitched up in urgent care. His face looked like he was in so much pain even though he was numb. The other was after a trach change this guy coughed and a bunch of bloody phlegm came out all over. Both times I excused myself and laid down with my legs elevated until I felt better. I know in the OR they ask you to tell them if you are feeling bad because they don't want you to faint into their sterile field. The next trach change didn't bother me at all.

This happens to many, many students at one point in their clinicals.

You have the new experience/gross out factor of seeing ulcers, etc.

You have the anxiety/pressure of being scrutinized by your instructor.

If you're like most students you're lacking in proper sleep and nutrition.

You have long clinicals days on your feet, and may or may not be taking the proper food/hydration/bathroom breaks.

If you were wearing gloves/a gown/mask at all, that tends to overheat you.

Try to make sure you eat something before clinicals, stay hydrated, and keep a small snack with you in case you need a quick bite. If this happens repeatedly, think about seeing your doctor.

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