Afraid of the *really* gross/gorey stuff

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So, I have tried to prepare myself for what may come as a nurse (if there is such a thing as being prepared). The body fluids seem manageable for me - blood doesn't bother me, I'm pretty sure I can handle anything poo, pee or vomit related as long as I have gloves and perhaps some essential oil in my mask (to cover the really intolerable smells), not fond of pus but I'll deal. The things that really skeeve me out are anything to do with eyes (dangling eyeballs, objects in eyes - even seeing how a lasik procedure is done makes me woozy) - I've just always had a thing with eyes freaking me out. Dead tissue needing to be removed is a scary one for me - I read about one nurse who had to deal with a burst abscess and watched as the doctor scooped out the old dead tissue before it could be packed. Broken protruding bones or snapped tendons. Will I get over all this? As I begin to list the things that scare me, I wonder if I'm too delicate for such a career. I've read that eventually your own comfort becomes trumped by the desire to make the patient comfortable, and also that knowing the medical reason behind doing a task helps you understand why it needs to be done. But it seems that so many unpredictables exist, and it's kind of scary. What's the goriest thing you've had to deal with, and is it common, or a once in a career type thing? I would assume those nurses working the ER would see the worst of it?

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Specializes in NICU.

Hands down the grossest experience was in the ER during a clinical rotation during nursing school on Halloween. A guy decided to commit suicide by pouring gasoline on his head and set himself on fire. He suffered 3rd degree burns over 75% of his body. The sight of him and the overwhelming smell of burnt flesh and gasoline was overwhelming.

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Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

Every nurse has their kryptonite. We learn to get past it or, in an ideal world, make partnerships with fellow nurses when something is just beyond the pale. Mine is bad smells. I can deal with almost any fluid, suction, wound, etc....but I have to make it so I don't smell the foul things that humans all too often smell like. Been a nurse for over six years now. You aren't too delicate for nursing. You will grow somewhat of a thicker skin and will hopefully have others around you to help you out if necessary.

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I have issues with eyes, too. And feet. To prepare myself for nursing school and beyond, I signed up for Figure 1 - which is like Instagram for the medical field. I've learned a ton from it (they present cases and ask questions about the treatments or management and encourage students to ask questions, too), and have become more comfortable looking at feet and eyeballs in various states of trauma or illness. I'm not sure how that will translate to real life, but I figure it's worth a shot.

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.

You'll be okay, OP — everyone has their Kryptonite, as mentioned. Just to give you an example, here is a thread I started 7 years ago: https://allnurses.com/emergency-nursing/whats-your-kryptonite-491180.html

Nothing to be ashamed of. :) I was recently teaching some trauma stuff and one of the students (who is already an RN) just didn't want to see the eyeballs!

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Specializes in ICU.

Just avoid Trauma, ER or OR.

Crush injuries are the worst. When a train crushes limbs.

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My first time I saw a cesarean birth was as a student nurse. It was a scheduled birth at 8am, no breakfast, and the OR was warm. No excuses, just the facts. The OB was so nice and let me gown up and stand across from him so I could really see what was going on. I didn't make it passed the first centimeter of the incision. The doctor took one look at me and a nurse gently grabbed my shoulders and moved me away from the sterile field into a chair that the FOB graciously gave up so I wouldn't hit the floor. I was mortified. Thank goodness I had an understanding professor and I have been a successful OB nurse for 37 years.

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Specializes in PACU.

There are so many different types of nursing, you should be able to stay way from the things that gross you out.... most of the time. You may also find once you are in this situations, that the urgency of it overrides the grossness factor until it's all over.

I don't like spit, but I suction and deal with saliva everyday, as long as I don't think about it (and stay out of the way when someone pulls a slimy LMA out real fast and flicks it everywhere) I do just fine.... if I sit and think about it though... ewhhh.

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Definitely, stay away from OR, ER, and Trauma.

I'm an OR nurse and the one thing that really bothered me when I first started was I was watching an open appendectomy and the surgeon was just digging through the patient's intestines trying to find the appendix. They found it and it probably didn't take as long and I felt like it did at the time because I was too busy just staring at intestines. It doesn't bother me anymore. But, that was maybe the only thing that has really bothered me.

That and I'm a sympathy puker. If someone looks like they need to vomit, I give them a basin and close my eyes.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

I don't think any nurse goes into nursing thinking "gosh, I love poop, vomit, blood, and urine, this should be easy". Well, some do, but that's a whole different problem. It's something that becomes less scary with time and experience and it's normal to be unsure of how you will cope with these things.

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I have issues with eyes, too. And feet. To prepare myself for nursing school and beyond, I signed up for Figure 1 - which is like Instagram for the medical field. I've learned a ton from it (they present cases and ask questions about the treatments or management and encourage students to ask questions, too), and have become more comfortable looking at feet and eyeballs in various states of trauma or illness. I'm not sure how that will translate to real life, but I figure it's worth a shot.

This is a great idea; almost like CBT. Repeat exposure to things really helps! I just signed up (thanks ItsThatJenGirl!) - yup - some really gnarly stuff there!

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Specializes in oncology, geriatrics, psychogeriatrics.

I don't have a lot of eek moments - give me bodily fluids, foul odor or extreme wound care, it doesn't bother me much. Most of the time, my collegues even come and get me when it gets too much for them. The only thing I don't like is when a patient tells me they're going to be sick. That's the moment when I feel the cold sweat run down my neck. Cleaning up no problem, but telling me about it is a no go.

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