This is my first post so please be gentle with me! I'm hoping some experienced nurses can give me some help here and I'm going to try not to sound silly.
I have always loved medicine and biology and was pre-med way back when. I decided to go in a different direction but I've always regretted not getting into the healthcare field. I'm 40 and ready to go back to my first love but the question for me is what field.
Nursing is such an important career and I really want to consider it along with radiology, lab careers, PA, etc. I'm about ruling out the lab because I like being around a variety of people. Nursing appeals to me but I honestly don't know if I can stomach all of it. I'm fine with blood and guts, in fact surgery completely fascinates me, but I would need to get used to feces, sputum, and probably some things I've never thought of before!
My question is whether any of you had to get used to certain things or if some things were hard at first but you just had to get over it. Do all nurses just naturally have a tolerance for everything or did most of you have to learn to deal with something?
Just for a little more background on where I'm coming from, I did some dental assisting to pay for college, I was a candystriper, I've done really basic procedures on pets (catheters, sub q fluids) and I'm really great at handling medical emergencies. I'm considering getting a job at one of the local hospitals so I can be in a clinical setting. I'm really working at getting a clue here so I figured I'd turn to the pros who see it all.
Any advice you can share would be greatly appreciated.
Maybe this thread has run its course, but I have to reply.
As a nurse, I have seen many of my fellow nurses who can't even discuss certain body fluids, wounds, etc. without gagging or at least having a little chill of disgust. Currently, I lovingly tease one of my co-workers every time she has to get a sputum culture because she hates phlegm to a nauseating degree.
One of my best friends in nursing school threw-up nearly every day of our pediatric rotation because she hates to see people throw-up. To her credit, she was composed while she was dealing with the patient (poor little things!) but when she left the room she usually had to excuse herself for a few minutes.
Different areas of nursing have their own things to contend with. You will find your own niche within the profession that you will be able to stomach.
lifejourney
30 Posts
Maybe this thread has run its course, but I have to reply.
As a nurse, I have seen many of my fellow nurses who can't even discuss certain body fluids, wounds, etc. without gagging or at least having a little chill of disgust. Currently, I lovingly tease one of my co-workers every time she has to get a sputum culture because she hates phlegm to a nauseating degree.
One of my best friends in nursing school threw-up nearly every day of our pediatric rotation because she hates to see people throw-up. To her credit, she was composed while she was dealing with the patient (poor little things!) but when she left the room she usually had to excuse herself for a few minutes.
Different areas of nursing have their own things to contend with. You will find your own niche within the profession that you will be able to stomach.
Good luck!