As a Nurse what are some things that make you sick?

kathy313 · Jan 25, 2010

When someone d/c's their own foley. Or that little popping sound when inserting a chest tube.

Josh.P · Jan 25, 2010

When someone d/c's their own foley. Or that little popping sound when inserting a chest tube.

What do you do to get passed it? just doing it over time?

Bobbkat · Jan 25, 2010

I'm still looking for my first RN job, so my experience is limited to nursing school, but I had a few 'ewww' moments there, for sure! During my final weeks of my 15 week preceptorship on a unit my last term, I went to do a wet-to-dry dressing change on a patient for a nurse that was really, really behind, and NO ONE told me what exactly was under the old dressing. I knew I needed PPE, due to an infection, and that all the supplies were in the room. I went into the room to find an infected abdominal fistula that was actively spurting out liquid stool. Luckily, I have a great poker face, as well as a pretty strong stomach. When I finished the dressing change and came out of the room, the nurse did apologize profusely that she didn't warn me, lol.

The funny thing is, I always thought about becoming a nurse when I was younger (not that, at 30, I'm all that old now , but I got a degree in a totally different field first instead, because I was TERRIFIED of needles. It obviously presented an obstacle to becoming a nurse. I actively decided that I would get over my 'problem' with them, and then go back to nursing school. I can proudly say that I have never, since making that decision, had a gross out problem with them ......but infected poop coming out of your obviously infected abdomen.....a little warning would be nice!

StNeotser, ASN, RN · Jan 25, 2010

suctioning, & emptying the contents of the container.

Hoozdo, ADN · Jan 25, 2010

False teeth, especially when having to scrub food debris off of them. I can take snot, suctioning, code browns - not a problem. Just those gunky false teeth. EWWWW.

I am not overly fond with manipulating glass eye balls either.

kathy313 · Jan 25, 2010

The chest tube...I never got over, gives me chills just thinking about it, lol! I just tried to focus on what the doc was doing, if he needed anything....

The foley, I just thought, "Oh man, that had to hurt like hell!" Then I just focused on the patient, any bleeding, pain, if it needs to be re-inserted....

Josh.P · Jan 25, 2010

Thanks Bobbkat, I agree a little warning would have been nice!

Josh.P · Jan 25, 2010

The chest tube...I never got over, gives me chills just thinking about it, lol! I just tried to focus on what the doc was doing, if he needed anything....
The foley, I just thought, "Oh man, that had to hurt like hell!" Then I just focused on the patient, any bleeding, pain, if it needs to be re-inserted....

Im hoping that when the time comes for me to "get my hands dirty" I wont think about it too much and can just focus on the pt's best intrest.

KungFuFtr · Jan 25, 2010

The smell of musomyst. It just lingers in the nares for some time. Anything that comes out of the orifice, especially if it's mixed with blood and childbirth.

Josh.P · Jan 25, 2010

Sounds like alot of folk have issues with poop! Not sure how i will deal with it, hope cleaning up after my son will help lol!

Stacy in North Texas · Jan 25, 2010

I worked in L&D for years, so I got used to urine, feces, vomit and blood real fast. Suctioning mucus makes me gag, but the worst for me was witnessing an orthopedic surgery on a pregnant woman. I was there to monitor the fetus. The mother had a leg fracture. When they started drilling and hammering, I almost passed out!