curious...hemophobia anyone?

Nurses General Nursing

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are there any nurses out there that went into nursing eventhough you knew full well that you were a little hemophobic or couldnt exactly stomach lacerations, nasty wounds, and the like? are any of you still like that??

oh, and were there any of you who went into nursing eventhough you were nervous about sticking needles into people?

sorry, im so curious...

Specializes in Internal Medicine Unit.

I'll never forget what my dear sister said to me when I told her that I had decided to complete my degree in nursing..."You do realize that we use needles, right?!" :kiss :roll :D

I have a reputation in the family for my fear of needles. As a child they chased me through the health department to give me a tetnus booster, and as an adult I upset my DH by crying all the way to the clinic for our pre-marrital blood test. I tear up and sometimes become light headed when on the receiving end of a needle even today. :lol2:

However, I have no problem turning that needle toward someone else. I actually had a patient ask me, "What are you nurses thinking when you do that?" (I was starting an IV.)

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

Nurses are human.....the same things that bother other people will bother us too. i'm ok with blood, but i can't stand the smell of vomit. some stratigically placed altoids and vicks are a life-saver!!!

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

However, I have no problem turning that needle toward someone else. I actually had a patient ask me, "What are you nurses thinking when you do that?" (I was starting an IV.)

get it on the first try and get out without getting stuck!!

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My wife can watch someone else bleed to death, but one little drop of blood comes out of her and she sometimes passes out.

Me, I watch while I get shots or give blood. I watch surgury vids and eat dinner.

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I definitely had some hemophobia/needle issues prior to nursing school and I knew it. My school's counseling center was awesome with helping me. My school had a med school too so they knew how to help us nursing and medical students desperately trying to get over blood/needle phobias. I did cognitive/behavorial therapy which worked wonders and also helped me with other aspects of my life. It kind if teaches you to counteract the automatic thoughts you have about what scares you. I learned that the more and more I saw blood and gave shots, the less afraid I was of it all. Now I'm a champ at giving shots and I'm pretty good at blood draws and IVs but that was after doing over and over again. I'm cool with looking at nasty wounds too. Now I'm still not totally cool with some sticking me, but I'm working on that. I can however stick anyone without hesitation.

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Specializes in Emergency.

I used to have a terrible time with blood. This was before I went into nursing.

In fact, I used to faint darn near everytime I had to have a blood draw or IM injection. I cannot begin to count the number of times I have actually fainted. Had a really good one after an amniocentesis!

I knew all of the above and went into nursing anyway. You do get used to it. The only time I get faint now is if it is a kid and they are screaming bloody murder as we hold them down to suture. If I think too much about it, I do get queasy.

It is also hard if it is my family members hurt.

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This is an interesting topic...I've always been 100% comfortable seeing blood, vomit, wounds, etc, etc. But the one thing that grosses me out is SALIVA!! hahaha funny I know...Having to touch the end of a thermometer that was in someone's mouth, or you known when people lick their fingers when eating...it's too much for me to handle! I can't stand seeing the saliva on people! haha but I can deal with vomit or blood! :chuckle

SALIVA?!?..lol..that's new. :lol2:

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my wife can watch someone else bleed to death, but one little drop of blood comes out of her and she sometimes passes out.

me, i watch while i get shots or give blood. i watch surgury vids and eat dinner.

a skill i will never master: watch someone bleed do death.lol

at any rate,

surgery vids are awesome!! :w00t:

[except lipo..dude, that is so sickening to watch..]

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Specializes in floor to ICU.

no prob here with blood, vomit, poop, festering wounds BUT deep suctioning is another story. The slurpy sounds along with the patient's gag reflex makes me want to hurl. :( Thankfully RT is usually around...

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I am so glad that you brought this up. I will be starting nursing school in August and am a little concerned about this. I have been known to become queezy at the sight of blood (gashes and gushing blood). I have watched a birth and was completely fine with all of that blood...but there is just something about gashes and large open wounds that make me very faint. I was just hoping that once I got in and started dealing with it on a daily basis I would just get over it.

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Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.

I never did have a problem with blood...I guess my mom told me when I was little that "that red stuff is your bodies way of cleaning things out...that is good stuff...but try to keep it in you since it has all those organs to clean!" So I don't think I ever thought of blood as anything other than a very helpful awesome body part! THANKS MOM!!!!!!!

BUT, just yesterday...I had a woman who needed to be hooked up to her PCA. She had the IV and everything and I was hooking her up for another nurse who NEEDED to get a lunch break (poor thing was going nuts!). I guess I hooked it up my way...and she had her own way. So she undid what I did and some blood came out the IV.

The poor ladies boyfriend was sitting (thank goodness) nearby and fainted! They told me just the site or even hearing about blood or needles makes him faint! Oh poor guy! I went to him and tried to wake him...and he started snoring so I put his head on my lap and got an airway (I was between furniture on the floor so I couldn't get into a good airway position, so head/shoulders on my lap) and he woke up just fine. Funny thing is that when he did wake up I gave him the most loving look and said..."Good morning sunshine"...he looked so perplexed and I laughed quickly and said "my dear...you just passed out, but DON'T think about why or you will go down again...just breathe with me for a moment and we will get you up".

I could just imagine seeing me instead of his girlfriend! LOL! He did just fine, and anytime we did ANYTHING...including just talking about things...we had him leave the room! LOL!

Talk about hemophobia!!!!!! WOW!

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Oh my I'm glad I'm not the only one that read it wrong.ha! I had logged in to respond to the homophobe issue, and then read your and realized I read it wrong too. However, we are dealing with that on our floor right now and I am appalled. We get report with comments like homosexual - partner at bedside. I never see heterosexual - wife at bedside. I'm sick of it. The worst was this past week... I had a homosexual pt who was npo, the nurse before me was so "grossed out" that she could not give a tylenol suppository, even though it was ordered. and gave it po. I cant believe that someones views would potentially endanger a patient. This has to stop, if we cant get past our feelings then I guess we need to find new professions.

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