I thought I'd put this here, since you guys have so much more experience, even though I'm only training as a CNA right now.
We're doing clinicals in a LTC facility, and today was the first time I got to change a brief (whee! how exciting!) Now, I'm not squeamish.. the idea of poop doesn't bother me, seeing the poop.. whatever. I'm good. But today the smell just hit me.. and I actually had to bolt and leave my partner there because I thought I was going to vomit. I was SO embarrassed because it was like.. a reflex. My supervising RN just looked at me and said (quite snottily) "and you have THREE kids?!" Sorry lady, but this was no baby poopie!
What do you veterans do to deal with the awful smell? Resident was on tons of meds and pureed diet, so it was REALLY terrible. I feel so bad, because it's not like I was consciously saying "ew" or something. Is there a trick to this?
Oh and I forgot to mention... if you are cleaning a pt with C. Diff, make sure you dab a little peppermint oil on the inside of the mask before putting it on. It will help mask the smell. Because c. diff is absolutely revolting to be around!
Through some of my med/surg clinical rotations I was assigned to several colostomy/ileostomy patients. Those can really stun you with the imediate gag reflex. I have had to turn my head away, find a patch of room air and breath it in and out quickly. Then take the additional breath in and hold it to resume the task. There's something so different smelling about "unfinished business" and it's location. I did well with most all of them until one in particular that was in the helium balloon stage convinced me further that I will never ever breath through my mouth tending to patients ostomied or nonostomied. I have tried the Vicks and other menthols, but the smell of Vicks reminds me of sickness anyway, and the combo doesn't work for me at all. So I have taken to buying the small inexpensive vials of concentrated essential oils in the apple cinnamon scent, fresh linen, rose water etc. They work great for me like a room freshener in your mask or under your nose. By the way, one of the previous posters mentioned the smell of some "hoohoos" and that happens to be what I call it too, I can relate!
Specializes in Addiction & Recovery, Community Health.
Essential oils are great!
I found this spray by a company called Young Living called Theives. It's made with real cinnamon and clove. Very strong and covers up almost everything. It is supposed to be anti-bacterial and anti-viral too. Try a squirt of that in a mask or two! Comes in little pocket size bottles, 3 to a pack, or a big size. Love pocket size stuff...
I wish I could hug every person contributing to this thread! I had a brief pow-wow with my friend in the class who got sent to our other clinical location, and she said the same thing I did -- so I don't feel so bad about my getting sick over it.
Unfortunately, our instructors are like drill sergeants, and while I think I could get away with a mask in the "real" world -- they'd freak if we tried that while on clinicals, since they'd find it degrading to the patient.
I thought of something else I can try -- I'm a rep for Body Shop at Home, and we have these little bottles of tea tree oil (which if you've ever smelled, is a VERY strong smell) and I have the hand sanitizer. Maybe I'll see if a little dab of that under my nose might help. Of course, with the Hall's or the Altoids too.. ROFL!
I just NEED to get through this, and I KNOW I can do it...thank you all for your suggestions and kind words. :redbeathe
Never keep your mouth open during this type of activity!
I am able to breathe quite well with my mouth fairly closed - I can imagine having a wide open mouth is not only a possible hazard but quite disturbing looking to the patient. If a smell is disagreeable to you, it is usually embarrassing to the patient. I have learned how to breathe predominantly through my mouth and not seem offensive to the patient. Works for me anyway. But no matter how "gross" I always try to remember there is a patient behind that smell!
I did the same thing on my first "poopie" change. First let me assure you, you will get so used to the smells that you wont notice them after a while. You may even learn to tell the difference between healthy and unhealthy poopie. Now some advice, try applying a little Vicks inside or under your nose, or on the outside of a mask (if your wearing one). Good Luck and relax, time will toughen your sence of smell.
Hey lvmama - I had the same problem when I was in nursing school and working as a ward clerk. The staff on my unit knew I was in nsg school and they were great about calling me to a room to show me dsg changes, NG tube insertions, and a lot of other skills to help me in clinicals. The first time I barely made it out of the room and puked in a potted plant in the hall, and of course in front of the patient's family - and it was a LOT of them. So embarrassing!!! After that the LPN told me about using the vicks vapor rub like what was previously suggested. It worked wonders for me, just a little bit right under my nostrils.
I still keep it in my locker just in case but I don't really need it any more. I didn't believe it at first, but it's never failed for me, even after 17 years! It's worth trying! Good luck!
LOL about the hoo-hoo's - we have one LPN on our floor who calls it "crotch-rot" and that about sums it up. Same for extremely obese patients who can't/don't bathe.
I must be nuts because I have never used a mask for smells (until clinical this semester of all things when someone handed me one!!!) and never thought about it, which is really weird because at home I am so scent sensitive it drives DH nuts. I have just learned to do really shallow breathing and concentrate on my tasks. I must be pretty immune to it though because my clinical instructor was like "you'll need a mask, this bedsore smells horrific" and I was in the room watching staff RN change dressing for the first time and I was sort of like "ok" this smells like a normal infected wound smell to me. Everyone thought I was a little crazy....if only they knew some of the stuff I have smelled. Oh, BTW, if you are doing a BM change use baby powder on their butts/attends/depends when they are clean. It smells pretty nice and overpowers the nasty smells.
:redbeathe
Newbie Nurse SMP
110 Posts
Oh and I forgot to mention... if you are cleaning a pt with C. Diff, make sure you dab a little peppermint oil on the inside of the mask before putting it on. It will help mask the smell. Because c. diff is absolutely revolting to be around!