Arrrgghhh, get the smell off!!

DawnJ · Sep 15, 2012

The smell from the cadaver lab. Even after showering I can still smell it for a day--the formadalyde and subtle decomp. Our cadavers weren't well embalmed, they had to remove pieces every couple weeks because they rotted so badly. Yet, we kept those incredible shrinking cadavers for the whole year.

irisheyesRsmilin · Sep 15, 2012

Thankfully I have lost a lot of my sense of smell too... :nailbiting:

nekozuki, LPN · Sep 15, 2012

Bodily fluid smells don't bother me, but holy hell...one whiff of ensure going down a peg tube just makes me gag.

turnforthenurse, MSN, NP · Sep 15, 2012

When I was a new PCNA, I had a patient with an ileostomy (with a lot of output!) and on top of it, a GI bleed. It smelled HORRIBLE...everyone knew when their ileostomy bag was emptied and the smell would go all the way down to the other side of the unit. Holding my breath didn't help because I can't hold my breath for that long...and if I tried breathing through my mouth, I would taste it! :barf01: That smell lingered on me for the entire day.

ArrowRN, BSN, RN · Sep 16, 2012

Anyone ever smelt burnt skin? its stays with you for days no matter what you do. I dont know how much of this is real or just the psychology of the thought, fooling ourselves into thinking the smell is still there?

boricualuv4ever · Sep 16, 2012

Ever in the OR for a liposuction? The smell of burning fat is terrible, I would start gagging when I couldn't stand the smell anymore.

Trekfan · Sep 16, 2012

When I was a new PCNA, I had a patient with an ileostomy (with a lot of output!) and on top of it, a GI bleed. It smelled HORRIBLE...everyone knew when their ileostomy bag was emptied and the smell would go all the way down to the other side of the unit. Holding my breath didn't help because I can't hold my breath for that long...and if I tried breathing through my mouth, I would taste it! :barf01: That smell lingered on me for the entire day.

My mom had one and I can remember having to be her helper when I little ,I never could get over that smell . Once when my mom was in the hospital she called my dad crying because no one on the floor would empty her bag because of the smell by the time we got there her bag had pooped and was allover the place I could smell it getting of the elverter I turned to my dad and said on @@@ it poped .

Ps skin yeast has to be the worst I ever smelled I can remember wiping it off her and wanting to vomit and the smell dose not wash out .

SuzyQNurse · Sep 16, 2012

:dummy:

FranEMTnurse, CNA, LPN, EMT-I · Sep 16, 2012

The stench of cancerous ulcers as they erupt out of the mouth during CPR. I wasn't able to clean our ambulance it was so bad.

Mommy&RN, BSN, RN · Sep 16, 2012

Food vomit. I can handle a SBO where the vomit smell like BM, etc. But if it smells like food I will gag. Wounds don't bother me, Cdiff doesn't phase me. Ostomys are ok. Will NEVER ear Ceaser dressing as long as I live.

amygarside · Sep 17, 2012

I have allergies so I'm congested most of the time. The smells don't hit me as hard thankfully.[/quote']
Lucky you!

turnforthenurse, MSN, NP · Sep 20, 2012

My mom had one and I can remember having to be her helper when I little ,I never could get over that smell . Once when my mom was in the hospital she called my dad crying because no one on the floor would empty her bag because of the smell by the time we got there her bag had pooped and was allover the place I could smell it getting of the elverter I turned to my dad and said on @@@ it poped .

That's horrible, I'm sorry that happened to your mom! I would never refuse to empty an ileostomy because of a smell. Same goes with entering a patient's room or helping to clean them up because of a smell.