What grossed you out the most in nursing school?

WhatToDo · Mar 29, 2005

Thank goodness I'm not the only one who is/was nervous about this. Thank you for your replies and hopefully there will be more to come. I nannied in college for a child with cerebral palsy and was never grossed out, and I was a vet tech way back in the day. I've never been grossed out by blood and guts, but bad smells are really nasty.

I think most of all I'm nervous about doing something to someone that I know really hurts.

Did anyone actually throw up? Is this initial feeling something that goes away with more experience? Did you have to work with cadavers in nursing school?

kkbaroness · Mar 29, 2005

WHOA!! I think that takes the case as grossest! You win the award!

I keep a tiny jar of VICK's in my pocket and wear some on my lip with a mask when I encounter the really stinky situations. I am not good with smells. :uhoh21:

Excavating half a pound of poo-poo from a demented womans lady parts is by far the grocest thing I have ever done. In addition to stuffing in in there, she also had done a little "nursing home redecorating" with it. Lost my apetite for several days after that one.

Jussurfin · Mar 29, 2005

I almost felt like a peeping tom (I think it would have been better if the NP had asked the patients permission for me to observe of if I actually had something to do).

This reply is off the subject at hand but let this reply be a lesson in human relations and, more importantly, professionalism. This NP you shadowed should have asked for the patient's consent before bringing you into THEIR examination room. Without question, she did not act in a professional, respectful manner. She did show you, much to your surprise, that she lacked basic, good manners and had no respect for her patients and their privacy. As you were there to only observe, you had no right to be in the patient's examination room without the patient's consent.

A professional would have asked for the patient's permission and explained the purpose of the request, i.e., you were there only to shadow (observe), etc. Professionals treat their patients like human beings, not like second class citizens, and they never take another human being (or their spouse/ SO) for granted nor do they impose their will upon another human being. If you want to be a professional, act like a professional and treat ALL people/patients/human beings with respect.

WhatToDo · Mar 29, 2005

This reply is off the subject at hand but let this reply be a lesson in human relations and, more importantly, professionalism. This NP you shadowed should have asked for the patient's consent before bringing you into THEIR examination room. Without question, she did not act in a professional, respectful manner. She did show you, much to your surprise, that she lacked basic, good manners and had no respect for her patients and their privacy. As you were there to only observe, you had no right to be in the patient's examination room without the patient's consent.
A professional would have asked for the patient's permission and explained the purpose of the request, i.e., you were there only to shadow (observe), etc. Professionals treat their patients like human beings, not like second class citizens, and they never take another human being (or their spouse/ SO) for granted nor do they impose their will upon another human being. If you want to be a professional, act like a professional and treat ALL people/patients/human beings with respect.

I couldn't agree more, I think this was one of the main reasons I felt so uncomfortable.

rogramjet · Mar 29, 2005

Eating lunch.
I just couldn't enjoy eating food, especially WITHIN the hospital ward, unless I could take a shower first (and they wouldn't let me do that, oddly).

This is funny. I used to think that way too. Then one night the night shift nurses were invited to the basement to watch a cornea harvest. Some of us had never seen one, so we went to watch. For some of us it was the first break we had that night. I looked around and noticed that some of us were eating a snack while we watched this. I guess after a while nothing bothers you anymore. When you can watch them peal the corneas off of a cadaver while eating a box of Milk Duds, you are at the point where nothing phases you anymore.

lisamc1RN, LPN · Mar 30, 2005

We treated a patient with a very severe heel wound. He's diabetic and what started out as a little tear in the skin has turned into such a serious infection that he is going to lose his leg. As we walked to his room, we could smell the rotting flesh. It was all I could do to breathe normally when we were taking care of him.

MrsCannibal · Mar 30, 2005

People who have the means to bathe, yet choose not to. And still would choose not to even with pt. teaching.
Green and yellow loogies (i got over that the first week in the OR).

Okay, I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only one who gets patients who seem to lose the ability to bathe themselves...like the lady who leaned back, grinned, and told me to "put a shine on the monkey". EEEWWW!!! And then their was my pts roommate at clinicals last week - she refused to ambulate to the bathroom, refused to stand up to use the bedside commode, and refused the bedpan because of her 'bedsores'. When I told her that I was kinda running out of options for her, she glared at me and started GRUNTING AND POOPED IN HER BED!!! And then started screaming for someone to get her cleaned up because it was burning her bedsores! Worst clinical experience so far, I can pretty much handle anything, but that kinda got to me.

NurseFirst · Mar 30, 2005

By far, Sputum.

I can't remember what we were doing in microbiology, but everyone had to spit their saliva into a test tube. I don't know why, but that has grossed me out more than almost anything I've seen (I am starting my 2nd/last year). I sat up in front and my prof put the whole test tube rack down on the lab table next to me. Some people came up with amazing amounts of saliva...

NurseFirst

LilRedRN1973 · Mar 30, 2005

Did you have to work with cadavers in nursing school?

We had two cadavers each semester of Anatomy and Physiology. We were given free rein to dissect as we saw fit, with a little direction from the professor of course. It was extremely interesting and probably one of the LEAST gross things I've ever dealt with. Hands down, putting an ETT down one cadaver after cracking open her chest and getting to feel the lungs and all the alveoli inflate was the coolest part.

As for what grosses me out in the hospital....well, my vote is still for vomit. For some reason, I can't deal with it. I do a pretty good job of hiding it, but it's hard work to do so. I have cleaned up poop like I've never seen before, particulary nasty after giving a milk and molasses enema on a lady who hadn't pooped in several weeks. I don't think I can eat gingerbread cookies ever again. It was a huge, sticky, stinky mess. C-diff poop doesn't bother me, I've learned how to deal with GI bleeds, flying sputum out of trachs have become easy to dodge (although I still don't enjoy suctioning gobs and gobs of snot out of trachs, ETT's, mouths, noses, etc.).....but a patient vomits and it's all I can do to hold myself together. Sigh. Maybe one day.

Melanie = )

wonderbee, BSN, RN · Mar 30, 2005

Bathing and changing the sheets of a very hairy paraplegic with cancer. Poor thing, I know he was going through a lot but he had a very hairy body that was shedding short black curly body hair all over the sheets. I have always been grossed out by a lot of body hair but to see it like that was so disgusting.

grinnurse, RN · Mar 30, 2005

Wounds pretty much gross me out especially when you have to pack them.

NG tubes get to me too-Especially when they are shooting out poop from the patients stomach...............YUCK-no need to check for placement there :chuckle

And fresh burns..........pictures of burns.............thoughts of burns-they all give me the creeps.........this is the main thing that kept me out of PT school was the thought of burns.

abundantjoy07, RN · Mar 30, 2005

Poo