Anyone Squeamish?

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

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Hey all!!!

This is my first post and I'm so excited I found this site! I was an art history student and had one of those "aha!" moments and am now changing to nursing. I really look forward to doing something that will give me a reason to get out of bed in the morning, but what had deterred me from really pursuing nursing in the first place is that I tend to get grossed out easily on particular things like the noise someone makes when vomiting (I begin to retch!) or the smell of puke, too.

Also, poop and pee and blood aren't too bad for me, although if it smelled particularly bad I might gag. And then, sometimes if I am watching discovery health channel or something like that, and there is a very graphic surgery in which they are sucking fat out or pulling out entrails, I get pretty queasy!

I know that I want to be a nurse so bad, and they say that you can always get past it. I sure do hope so! I was just curious if any of you have dealt with similar problems and how you got over them?

I'll be doing CNA training this summer and hear I'll be knee deep in gross stuff.

Hi to all!

Specializes in OB.

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!!!!!

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i was pretty much the squeamish type before too. at first i found the stench and the gross sights unbearable but a couple of months into it, i just laugh at it yknow what i mean? i think youll get used to it too just like most of us..

also what i was doing before, if i wanna retch or whatever, i do it in private as a courtesy to the patients and the other people nearby.

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this is funny! I don't get squeemish easily, but have been concerned about my lack of short term memory. I have 3 little ones and find myself doing things like having to reach behind me to make sure I put the baby in the car seat while driving down the road or checking twice to make sure I turned off the stove..if I am worried about being forgetful and leaving the infant seat in the driveway when I go to the grocery- How am I going to remember things as a nurse??? I guess this is where documenting things comes in handy. Maybe I should have a checklist to complete when we get in the minivan. Car seat snapped? check! doors closed? check! baby in the car? check! yeesh.....

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No, I wouldn't say I am squeamish. I don't have problems watching surgeries or that type of stuff on TV (although I am sure it's different actually being there in person).

I would have to say that my biggest downfall is those who would come into the ER. And funky breaks or injuries like something stuck in here or there would make me ill. I don't think I can deal with all of the weird injuries like that!!! I guess I'll see!! I am looking into possibly working in L&D or with Children, cancer patients (I had a friend who's daughter passed away from Cancer and I feel like that might be something where I can bring them some happiness...I don't know why I feel that way).

I think you will figure out what you can and can't handle when you do your clinicals and once you do that, you'll really know what you want!!

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You all are getting queasy reading this and I'm eating lasagna. :) I'm not in school yet, but I've heard the Vicks trick works wonders.

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Specializes in med-surg.

I am worried about how I'll do - I'm not so good with blood, at least my own, and pass out almost every time that I cut myself (somehow periods aren't a problem though). I think it's knowing that skin has been cut or something becasue I also have a hard time watching the first cut on surgery shows. After that, I can watch them do whatever (well, sometimes the lipo suction stuff freaks me out a bit). I have no idea how I'll handle the stench of certain things since I haven't really been exposed (no kids). I do have a pretty bad gag reflex when it comes to spoiled food. I work in a shelter and the guests leave some pretty nasty things behind!

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

Jeremy

I couldnt take this! But only because Im extremely paranoid about contracting diseases this way. Id be grossed out but ill get over the feeling once I wash...! Ill probably test myself for a number of diseases, viruses... even the most unreasonable ones. :lol2:

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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 have tried that... BUT you just feel like you are inhaling the particulate matter into your mouth and lungs and leads me to believe that I am EATING it rather than smelling it LOL.(example is when you spray air freshener and you accidentally breath some of it in). I have talked to a nurse about it and she says that she wears a mask and on the inside she will dab a little of her favorite perfume on the inside (not so much that you smell really strong or SUFFOCATE!!) This sounds like a good idea, but is it appropriate to always wear the mask?

Personally I am good at dealing with blood, guts, puke, and mucus. The only thing I worry about are things that come out of our "bottom halves" (sorry if this is a bit graphic) like foul smelling urine, non-solid feces, and my most dreadful fetor is that of ... genital discharge (I have never had to smell this or touch it before, but I imagine that it could be the worst of all).

Hopefully I won't have to encounter that on a daily basis (I may have this fear built upon a lack of experience or knowledge in this particular matter. I am sure I would get over this the first couple of times I encounter it). Sorry if this was a bit inappropriate.

All of this may be different when the adrenaline is pumping, but if encountered in a calm/relaxed state it may be worse. IDK??

:gandalf:

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I'm glad I found this thread. I'm hoping to start LPN school soon and have some of these same fears. Glad to know about the Vick's trick, I feel "in the know" now :chuckle

I have a question - can you wear a face mask when cleaning up particularly bad smelling fluids?

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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.

Only eyes make me squeamish. Everything else I can handle, or think I can handle (I hope!) :)

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Specializes in Home Health, Case Management, OR.

I am ok with everything except for mucous and broken bones. Mucous, in any form, makes me gag and broken bones make me start to black out, especially if they are really distorted. I am sure with time, and exposure I will become more desensitized to the offenders....at least I hope so!

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It's funny, I could suction a trach with no problem, but boogers bother me. I can't stand to see a kid with a snotty nose. When I see someone eat their boogers, I come very close to puking. Even sitting here thinking about it makes me want to hurl.

The worst for me, though, is ostomies. That has got to be one of the worst smells.

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