Do family members injuried bother you more than patients?

[Marie-SC]

This may sould like a crazy question but do your family members injuries/blood bother you more than a patients?

I made it through 2 weeks of clinicals in a LT facility with no problem with any bodily fluids. And have my phlebotomy certification.

But my son sliced his finger open and I got dizzy and had to sit down when they were stitching him up. I was okay until the doctor starting squeezing it and blood started pooring out with him screaming. In my mind, I kinda blamed that on me be pregnant.

Then my husband had a vasectomy and the doctor said, "Are you just going to sit there or are you come over here and watch?" So being the curious person that I am, I went and watched and once again became dizzy and had to sit down.

Could I just be having problems b/c these are the people I love the most? Has anyone had a experience similar? How do I know before I start clinicals if I am going to have a problem with this? Any suggestions? :redbeathe

[Nrsstudent09]

I have the same problem as you. My little sister got stiches over the summer in her lip and i pretty much saw black and had to sit down. I was very worried about going to clinical and having the same problem. When it came to clinical I was actually okay. I did a rotation in the OR for a day and saw open heart surgery and all I did was tell myself "you can do this, you will be fine" and I was. It became a mind over matter thing. Eat a good breakfast, not just a granola bar n juice, the whole eggs, toast, juice/coffee thing and you should be fine. Good Luck :)

[november17, ASN, RN]

To be honest, not really.

[CABG patch kid, BSN, RN]

Maybe its psychological? Like the fact that its a family member bothers you more than seeing a patient hurt because you don't have any "feelings" for the patients like you do for family.

[AprilRNhere]

You have to tell yourself to be objective about it. I was through nursing school..and my daughter fell and bit through her lip. (she ended up with 3 stitches)

As she was bleeding all over..my first reaction was to freak out (for like 2 seconds)..then I reminded myself it's not THAT big of a deal- suck it upand I was fine.

[edc1951]

It can and the reaosns are psychological because you are being subjective as well as objective. Consider if you saw a woman beaten and then administered care to her. Would you not react differently than if she was brought into the ER with the same wounds. In these situations it is best to BREATHE take a moment, remind yourself not to panic and the proceed with the wound. It is hard though because that kid is also wanting Mommy.

[MIA-RN]

I see spots whenever I see my husband get a blood draw or an IV start...but I can watch with interest with the more invasive stuff they do to him.

With my kids I can stay pretty objective--I think its mainly so THEY don't freak out.

[MzMouse]

I can handle family member/loved ones injuries and blood just fine, that has never bothered me. But I am not good as a clear thinking nurse when my husband or other family member is the patient or the one in pain. My husband was in the ER and admitted to the hospital a few years ago and I was a scatterbrained basket case. It bothered me because I wanted to be calm and in control, but it's tough when the person you love is the patient.

[ShayRN]

I have seen many things there that would make the average person go down. I have seen cancerous tumors that would turn the strongest stomach. I have changed dressings on a leg that had gangrene so bad I thought the toes were going to fall off and the smell was so bad the family couldn't stay in the room for more than 5 minutes at a time. Didn't bother me at all....

Two years ago, my son got hit in the nose with a baseball over a friends house. They brought him to me. When I saw all that blood on MY BABY, I darn near went down. I had tunnel vision, my ears were ringing, I got sweaty. I had to hand him to my husband and put my head between my legs. My friends still tease me about that. I can't help it:rolleyes:

[edc1951]

I have just returned to this thread after rereading some of the posts in a thread about a new nurse who was yelled at by the mother who was also a nurse, of a retarded pt.

I have to say I am disgusted by some of the comments about this mother and hope I never have to be cared for by any of these nurses but right here I am able to find people I hope would be the ones, since you all know that being the mother or wife of a patient, with all the information we have, is still the scariest and gut wrenching experience. Thanks to all of you for sharing, it always helps to have anecdotes on which to draw when faced with a distraught mother who is also saying I'm a nurse.

[Penelope_Pitstop, BSN, RN]

i can handle family member/loved ones injuries and blood just fine, that has never bothered me. but i am not good as a clear thinking nurse when my husband or other family member is the patient or the one in pain. my husband was in the er and admitted to the hospital a few years ago and i was a scatterbrained basket case. it bothered me because i wanted to be calm and in control, but it's tough when the person you love is the patient.

my sentiments exactly. when my mother had surgery a few years back, i was going nuts, even though i'd taken care of many patients who'd experienced the same procedure. control is my issue i believe.

although i will say that my own blood seems to gross me out a bit. i can not watch my donor blood fill up a bag, and once i cut my toe open and nearly passed out at the sight. yet i can eat spaghetti and watch an open abdominal surgery...

jess

[DutchgirlRN, ASN, RN]

maybe its psychological? like the fact that its a family member bothers you more than seeing a patient hurt because you don't have any "feelings" for the patients like you do for family.

i think it's in her heart not in her head and not a thing wrong with that. while i don't have to sit down, i have had to leave the room on occasion. :uhoh21: