How did you prepare yourself for the less pleasant aspects of nursing?

[ceryna]

I've never been one of those people who were fascinated by the functions of the human body, I often found myself having to look away from anything "gross" on medical shows, whether fictional or on the Discovery channel. Ever since I decided that I wanted to pursue nursing, I've been telling myself that I'll get used to seeing that kind of thing and it won't bother me anymore.

The other night, we were watching "Horror Stories of the ER" on TLC, and there was a mentally disabled homeless woman who came in with severe abcesses on her arms. They were so bad that she actually had holes in her skin, in which she had inserted worms. Her skin was blackened with infection and dirt.

When I first saw it, I had to look away, although I made myself turn back, thinking "I might see something like this as a nurse, I have to learn not to be bothered by this kind of thing"

But then I wondered...if I have to make myself not be bothered by seeing open wounds and so on, am I really cut out for nursing?

How did you reconcile yourself with the fact that you will be dealing with this kind of thing. Are you the sort of person who finds the workings of the human body fascinating, even when the appearance is...unpleasant? Or did you inure yourself to it in some way? If so, how?

I want to be a nurse because I want to help people. I think it's an exciting, dynamic field where the sky is the limit because there are so many directions to go. I may end up choosing a field of nursing that doesn't concentrate on hospital care, but I will have to go through that type of environment as I train, and I want to make sure I'll be able to handle it.

Any thoughts?

[u62philo]

Couldn't tell you. I'm in it for the blood and guts and vital organs.

OK, seriously. Don't think about it as a whole. Think about it as cells, or tissues, or even elements.

If I feel a little icky that is what I do.

[RosesrReder, BSN, MSN, RN]

Will start clinicals in a few weeks, I am planning to prepare myself by practice until I become immune.

[NeoNurseTX, RN]

Couldn't tell you. I'm in it for the blood and guts and vital organs.

OK, seriously. Don't think about it as a whole. Think about it as cells, or tissues, or even elements.

If I feel a little icky that is what I do.

Exactly! I love to watch surgeries and nasty things fascinate me - like bed sores.. hehe.

[Noahj]

i get this question asked of me constantly by friends who know i'm in nursing school. before i went to school i honestly had the same concern. i loved to watch the ER shows and blood and guts always was neat to me. however, seeing it firsthand is another story and intially i was worried how i would react.

here is how i handle it and it always works for me. this is something i suggest to my fellow classmates and how i explain it to my friends.........whether you are cleaning up a bed full of feces, blood, mucous, urine, etc.....you are helping someone who is sick and needs help. if you are a compassionate and loving person (which more than likely you are because you want to be a nurse), the nasty sights and smells won't effect you much.

what i try to do is displace my feelings and realize i am helping a sick individual. will it still smell bad? of course. will some things look horrible? absolutely. when i have to change someone who has made a mess on themselves, i remind them that this is what happens when you are sick and that is what you are there for (only if they apologize to me first).

and like others have suggested, get a job as a CNA or tech. you'll see plenty the first shift.

and lastly, carry you a small bottle of Vick's vapor rub. i learned that from another nurse after i had to change my first colostomy bag one evening. when you know you got a real nasty smelling procedure, rub that Vick's in your nose and it'll help mask the smell.

hope this helps :)

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

Five years ago I was employed as an aide for 6 developmentally disabled adults in the home setting. These clients were profoundly retarded. One of the clients would engage in disgusting behaviors such as smearing his feces into the carpet, stripping naked, openly masturbating, and groaning (he was nonverbal). I regularly changed diapers and, by the end of 8 months of doing this work, was very accustomed to the fecal stench and other gross stuff.

It was disgusting in the beginning, but had less shock value as time passed.