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

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Hey all!

Just wondering what are some things that make you quezzy? ie body fluids, poop, ect? and as a nurse do you feel bad about it since its your job to deal with it? Just wondering if i should feel bad if i see something and say eeww ( not outloud of course)

Thanks for any comments

Josh.P

Specializes in icu.

if the patient expired and you gotta take out lots of tubes connected to the body, there's always the gooey part that really makes me sick. im still not used to it,

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Specializes in Corrections, Cardiac, Hospice.

I have taken care of some of the worst tumors you can imagine. Had a woman with rectal cancer so bad I could literally put my fist into her cavity to my wrist. Have had the tips of toes break off in my hand from gangrene. Suctioned pseudomonis out of gunky trachs. No problem, I can wash my hands and go have a cookie. I can handle just about anything, except watching surgery. Something about seeing someone CUT into someone else's skin, EEEKKKK! I want to barf.

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Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.

Blood, needles surgeries- never bothered me. Poop, vomit can control reaction by trying to mouth breathe, etc. For some reason just lately, in the past year after all these years developed an aversion to really thick frothy drool and "strings" of anything. Stringy discharge, stringy mucous on suction equipment, clotting blood. Don't know why. . but I can glance away at least if need be. I think the seeds of it started with a vag swab with a long string of a substance swinging back and forth which the doc had to carefully aim at the slide I was holding before it hit the floor. :eek:

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Specializes in Geriatrics.

We have a G tube lady that vomits A LOT. I always give her Dramamine prior to her feedings, but she still gets sick about 8 times out of 10. The vomit itself is not bad, usually just gastric juice...but the sounds she makes while she is vomiting. Guess what I do so I don't have to listen? I sing, loudly, usually Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.

I used to not be able to handle vomit at all; I would trade for suctioning a trach, changing a gangrenous wound, doing a whole hall of bedcheck just for one aide to go in there for me to monitor the patient while vomiting. What cured me of this ended up being a code. While doing chest compressions on a mentally ill patient who was a full code, she vomited pureed scrambled eggs. I took my Yonker and suctioned it all up. Suctioning I actually love doing, I actually love the sound of someone being suctioned (weird yes I know). I can handle pretty much anything now.

I lost a set of twins early in my first trimester. I was very sick with morning/all day sickness and the one thing that really turned my stomach during that time was cleaning up poop of a G tuber; the poop was like baby poop from formula (no other time has this ever bothered me though) and just bothered me when pg.

Blessings, Michelle

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Specializes in Cardiac, Hospice, Float pool, Med/Peds.

Snot and trachs... When I was pregnant, I could hardly suction a patient... Thank goodness for RT guys/gals...

This is silly, but I HATE cotton balls. The sound, the feel... My husband thinks this is funny and puts them all over me... Feels like nails being scratched on a chalkboard... GRRR

Also, C-Diff and wounds... I hate oozing wounds that smell... Part of being a RN and when in the room, I act normal because I know if it was me as the patient, I would not want the person taking care of me being all grossed out and all...

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Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.
QUOTE=mondkmondk;4090655]We have a G tube lady that vomits A LOT. I always give her Dramamine prior to her feedings, but she still gets sick about 8 times out of 10. The vomit itself is not bad, usually just gastric juice...but the sounds she makes while she is vomiting. Guess what I do so I don't have to listen? I sing, loudly, usually Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.

Do you ever get funny looks from people passing by? :lol2:

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Specializes in Geriatrics.
Do you ever get funny looks from people passing by? :lol2:

Well not so far, LOL. I swear they make our residents' rooms soundproof. But whenever one of my aides hears me, they come right in. That is their cue!

Blessings, Michelle

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Specializes in n/a.
Hi Josh,

Thanks for sharing your experience with enemas. Perhaps you are not aware of what disimpaction is...it is the removal of feces from the rectum by use of one's digits (fingers). 1000x worse than an enema....ouch!!!:up:

OHHHHH! Thanks for clearing that up for me. Sorry about the TMI story LOL

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I gagged for the first time ever today.

Gal vomited what looked and smelled like liquid, infected stool mixed with old blood. That sweet/foul bacterial stool smell combined with a rotting meat smell, OMG. If that came out of me, I don't know if I could stop vomiting. I'd just have to vomit until I passed out. As it was, I had to gag into the trash can. I have NEVER gagged in my 15 years in the hospital, not even while pregnant.

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Specializes in LDRP/Nursery/Peds/Gyn, school nursing.

I'm pretty good with the bodily fluids and goo (it's been so long since I suctioned a trach-- still miss it!!).

What really gives me the willies is nails. When a fingernail is bent back off the bed (the only time I ever passed out in school nursing!), and toenails in general. They don't even need to be thick and yellow-- hate 'em all. I would NEVER EVER EVER EVER work for a podiatrist!!!!!!!!!:barf02:

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Specializes in n/a.
NG=nasogastric tube goes down the nose.

ahh, gothcha, thanks for the info! :)

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Specializes in n/a.
if the patient expired and you gotta take out lots of tubes connected to the body, there's always the gooey part that really makes me sick. im still not used to it,

How did you feel the first time you had a PT expire?

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