So what makes you pass out?

Nursing Students General Students

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Okay they say everyone in nursing has that one thing that totally makes them a little light headed. I have been to the OR, watched a stage 4 pressure ulcer be dressed without being bothered. THe one thing that gets me everytime is watch someone else put in an IV. I know what you are thinking... you better change your major. I have taken out two IVs and neither have bothered me. So my question is do you think that this will subside when I actually put the IV in?

I am scheduled to start nursing school in January. I haven't seen much in the blood 'n guts department. Has anyone else started nursing school with out knowing what kind of reaction they will have to gore? If you have a bad reaction, what helps you get over it? I am watching all the horrible stuff on the Discovery Health channel, so far so good with those episodes. Last night a ladies leg was rotting off, and a guy almost amputated his own foot. I guess I will keep watching in hopes that it will help when I see that stuff for real.

Specializes in Med/Surg, ICU, ER, Peds ER-CPEN.

My own blood, and getting an IV, send me straight to the floor lmao most embarassing moment was last year at my oral surgeon's office, the nurse anesthes..(can't spell it lol) couldn't get the line in my hand and he thought he had it and went to flush it, I said that feels wrong, got all agitated telling him it was wrong and then *bam* lights out I come to thinking "this is great! I'm a nursing student and I pass out getting an IV!" I laugh about it now, although after he got one in and put me in lala land I awoke 2 hours later with both arms tore up and bruised from the hand to the AC! I was not a happy camper. When it comes to other people I get queasy about broken bones that make limbs bend in ways they shouldn't bend, even if it's on tv my stomach starts flip flopping lol

Specializes in Acute Care.

I can't handle stage 3-4 pressure ulcers/chronic wounds. Pretty much anything you could stick a wound vac on, I can't deal with for some reason. I've handled my OR rotations and everything else just fine.

Specializes in OR-ortho, neuro, trauma.

so this is probably going to sound really weird but ear wax grosses me out to the point where i gag if it's laying around in the sink after the docs to ear lavages at the office i work at. i was an emt for years, was in the or as a surgical tech for a year and have been working as a cma for 3 years and thats the only thing that makes me want to die! :barf01:

Specializes in Medical-Oncology.

I fainted in clinicals during a PICC line insertion. And I get woozy at other times as well. Even mere discussing major surgeries is messing with me. I am worried because tomorrow I will observe in the OR. My instructor has warned me that I can fail this semester because of this. I have been watching lots of surgeries on OR-live.com and have been to the health clinic and am taking meds for panic attacks and am trying to increase my fluid and salt intake. In the morning I will eat a huge breakfast with lots of protein, carbs, and salt. I am wearing rubber bands on my wrists to pop myself if I feel faint. I will have M&Ms in my pocket if they allow to keep my blood sugar up. I am doing everything I can to beat this. I just need to get through this semester.

Good luck to all of you!

Specializes in Med/Surg, Tele, IM, OB/GYN, neuro, GI.
I fainted in clinicals during a PICC line insertion. And I get woozy at other times as well. Even mere discussing major surgeries is messing with me. I am worried because tomorrow I will observe in the OR. My instructor has warned me that I can fail this semester because of this. I have been watching lots of surgeries on OR-live.com and have been to the health clinic and am taking meds for panic attacks and am trying to increase my fluid and salt intake. In the morning I will eat a huge breakfast with lots of protein, carbs, and salt. I am wearing rubber bands on my wrists to pop myself if I feel faint. I will have M&Ms in my pocket if they allow to keep my blood sugar up. I am doing everything I can to beat this. I just need to get through this semester.

Good luck to all of you!

If they make you stand while you are observing just make sure that you don't lock your knees.

Good luck.

Specializes in Med/Surg, Tele, IM, OB/GYN, neuro, GI.

Nothing in clinical has made me want to pass out but I love watching the "gross" stuff. My clnical gorup saw a woman get a NG tube put in which caused her to vomit and everyone in the room turned green while I just stood there asking if they wanted me to hold the emesis basin.

Now in nursing school the only thing that has made me close to passing out is reading my Fundamentals book in bed. For some reason it makes me dizzy.

Specializes in LTC.

At clinicals this weekend I was taking care of a pt. with a stage IV pressure ulcer. The pt.'s wife did the dressing changes because she has been taking care of him at home for years (he has been parapalegic for 15+ yrs.) I was helping his wife with the dressing change, and she said "now on this one if you stick your finger in, you can feel the bone. Go ahead and try it." So I did. It was so gross! I thought I might die, but I managed to remain my composure. That's the first time I've ever had trouble with wounds. Usually I think they are pretty cool.

Another thing that really grosses me out is when you take someone's dentures out and there's gross old food on them. I rather clean up poop than dentures any day of the week!

Specializes in Telemetry/Med Surg.

Nothing................yet

I fainted in clinicals during a PICC line insertion. And I get woozy at other times as well. Even mere discussing major surgeries is messing with me. I am worried because tomorrow I will observe in the OR. My instructor has warned me that I can fail this semester because of this. I have been watching lots of surgeries on OR-live.com and have been to the health clinic and am taking meds for panic attacks and am trying to increase my fluid and salt intake. In the morning I will eat a huge breakfast with lots of protein, carbs, and salt. I am wearing rubber bands on my wrists to pop myself if I feel faint. I will have M&Ms in my pocket if they allow to keep my blood sugar up. I am doing everything I can to beat this. I just need to get through this semester.

Good luck to all of you!

They can fail you for that?! I'm glad I'm not in your program...I've fainted twice!

Specializes in Medical-Oncology.
They can fail you for that?! I'm glad I'm not in your program...I've fainted twice!

Exactly! I think my instructor was just trying to scare the crap out of me to make me stop fainting! Not the best way to do so! Today I went to the OR and watched some not too invasive procedures and did fine! I got a little woozy, but stayed in the game. What a relief!

Specializes in Dialysis, Home Care, Hospice.

The only thing that bothered me as a student and after I graduated was a patient with a trach that had Pseudomonas. A smell you never forget. Nothing else grosses me out.

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