BE HONEST! What part of your job do you hate?

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  1. What grosses you out the most?

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Specializes in ICU.

Hi All,

I'm in a nursing school and some of the stuff we see during clinicals gross me out! I AM getting used to most of it BUT, do you have any tips on how to take it easy?

Thanks!

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What grosses you out specifically?

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.

I hated my bosses when they would be demeaning to me or let patient's family be rude to me. It happened often. I can deal with anything patient care related but if my boss doesn't have my back, it's hard to stay in a work environment like that.

One case in particular, I was working in a nursing home as a new grad. I was caring for a patient, he was in his late 20s & his mother was always there & overbearing. They would let her go EVERYWHERE & no one stopped her. Well she wasn't happy with the care I provided & came after me with the anger of 1000 bears. She did this by the nursing station in the middle of the nursing home. The DON didn't stop her or take it elsewhere. She made ME go to her office. I have learned a lot since then.

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I hate seeing sad family dynamics. I hate thinking my rushed care in the ER is the best they will likely ever have.

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Specializes in LTC.

Feet. I hate feet. They gross me out.

That being said, I can not stand the super-needy/clingy family members that keep someone stationed at the facility and have someone else call to confirm what I told the one that's there. We currently have a family like that. This family also enlisted the "help" of their person's A/O room mate to watch us. They would call her all hours of the day and night to see if we did this, that, whatever. We had to get SS involved to get them to leave the room mate alone.

They will come to the desk no less than a dozen times a shift (not exaggerating) to make sure we did this, know that, etc. It makes it difficult to take care of the other 36 residents when these people hold us hostage. I wish they'd just take her home.

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Vomit. I hate hearing people wretch! Poop, sputum, urine, blood, wounds, I can handle. But vomit? It's my one thing.

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Specializes in Pediatric.
Feet. I hate feet. They gross me out.

That being said, I can not stand the super-needy/clingy family members that keep someone stationed at the facility and have someone else call to confirm what I told the one that's there. We currently have a family like that. This family also enlisted the "help" of their person's A/O room mate to watch us. They would call her all hours of the day and night to see if we did this, that, whatever. We had to get SS involved to get them to leave the room mate alone.

They will come to the desk no less than a dozen times a shift (not exaggerating) to make sure we did this, know that, etc. It makes it difficult to take care of the other 36 residents when these people hold us hostage. I wish they'd just take her home.

Feet can be gross!

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
Feet can be gross!

Ugh, I hate feet too! But I've never had to deal with feet. :)

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Specializes in ICU.

When you open a diaper to change a catheter and you see poop and you can tell it's been there for a long time!! And the smell... Feet and nails, esp older people! When you notice that they have poop under nails and they're touching the rails and their bed...

Also last week a lady asked me if I could help her to use the restroom. I told her I'll call her CNA (and she said, "She's not going to do it...", I know she does not have any confusion and mental issues but I still thought she's exaggerating, guess what? She was right, the CNA had such an attitude I felt sorry for the old lady and helped her myself. I know that all of us have our bad and good days, but some nurses especially CNAs have the worst attitude I've ever seen in my life! I know they are awfully underpaid but hey, deal with it! Be respectful, it's somebody's grandmother/mother/daughter etc.

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Red/moist/yeasty smelling skin folds. Also, enlarged, red, thick skinned, weeping lower extremities.

I would never let on to the pt. that it grosses me out but it puts my game face to the test.

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Specializes in OR/PACU/med surg/LTC.

I'm not a fan of dentures. The gross me out. Especially when the pt doesn't take them out at night and they start to hang out of their mouth as they sleep.

I work LTC and I don't mind doing palliative care. I don't like the time when they are still just declining, right before they are deemed palliative. Our doc is only their once a week, so it's hard to try to get them deemed palliative over the phone by the MD, especially if it is a quick decline.

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Also last week a lady asked me if I could help her to use the restroom. I told her I'll call her CNA

Perhaps the CNA had an attitude because a student wouldn't help someone to the restroom. Not saying it was right. Just a thought.

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