Anyone Squeamish?

I am totally with you on the puke. I just can't deal with it. Baby puke is ok, but when my 5 year old threw up a few months ago (spaghetti), I puked myself just cleaning it up. This really has me bothered.

I am ok with blood, guts, poop and the like.....it's just that dang puke that gets me every time!

You will be able to tell a lot more once you start CNA class, You may surprise yourself I think every nurse has one thing that they don't like

I have the same issue. For some reason, when it's an infant it doesn't matter.

Thanks for your replies; it's good to hear that it can be done or gotten over.

I was the same way when I started school. I had a very weak stomach for things like that. However, after my first quarter in a nursing home I am nuch better at most of it. One thing I don't think I will ever get use to is the stench of wound care. I puke every time! LOL We all have our items that we just can't take & that is definately mine hands down. I gagged quite a bit at first, but you do develop a tolerance to many smells, sights & sounds as you go....

I am getting queasy just reading these posts. I also have a terrible gag reflex...especially for vomit, hopefully it does get easier to deal with like everyone says!

In my experience, you'll get desensitized in the long run. And you wont mind so much. I dissected cadavers for a year. It started really disgusting, but after a month or two I could honestly say, I didnt even have any problems eating PBJ in front of the body.

After numerous surprises (such as maggots, sometimes gunshot wounds right through the heart and stomach-- with all its putrid decaying contents), right now, im up for anything! Except that I cant eat mentos since we used to put peppermint oil on the bodies to make them smell better. It smelled so much of mentos, you could almost taste it in the air.

Good luck!

well my main thing is keeping a straight face.....lol i dont know how im going to do this without face.......oh boy lol help!! think happy thoughts i guess but thats going to be hard

What about breathing through your mouth instead of your nose? Doesn't anyone do that? If you breath through your mouth you don't have to smell anything.

I know a Paramedic who was giving CPR when the Pt threw up in his mouth. Think you could take that?

Jeremy

oh my gosh. someone throwing up in my mouth?!

i would throw up right back into the patients! lol.....

wow.

Give me puke, poop, blood, or guts...I can handle it. But I HATE to suction and mucus (shudders) gives me the heebyjeebys!!!!

Now, some tricks of the trade...Vicks! That stuff is the bomb!!! Just rub alittle under and around your nose and you're good to go! I once had to clean up a lady that had C-diff diarrhea. (any of yall had that pleasure?) :rotfl: Yuck, that stuff smells like rotton fruit...or something akin to it, anyways, after about my 4th trip to clean her up in 2 hours, I was like "I gotta have something to mask this smell." I rummaged around in my bag and used my Vicks that I had from the week before when I had a sinus infection.

I was so proud of my quick wit, until I started sharing my newfound knowledge with the "older" nurses at work, they were like, "Uh, yeah, we thought everyone knew the Vick's trick." :roll Sigh, oh well!

So, for now on, I always have Vick's in my bag!!!!!