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
Oh yes I am not very functional as a nurse when it is my family hurting! For example...my daughter had a dystonic reaction to compazine a while back . She presented to the ED c/o not being able to close her jaw....back to exam room....went into major dystonic reation...bowing back and all..........I fell apart! The md ,whom I know well , just laughed at me and handed me to my sister in law! LOL:yeah:
I thought I was the only one! I've never had a problem with blood or anything medical. Mucous makes me want to gag and the smell of vomit turns my stomach, but I can handle them. But, a few years ago, my husband had his deviated septum worked on. They stuck the "tampon" plugs up his nose that he was to pull out 2 days later. When he started pulling them out, they were bloody & mucousy. Obviously gross looking! I was amazed at how woozy and faint I became, watching him do this, though! I walked away for a minute and was fine. When I came back to finish watching/helping, I got the same feeling again! It was so weird! Have NEVER had that happen with a patient with ANY procedure. I could only imagine it was because he was a loved one.
Thanks for all of your replies! This gives me some relief. I have never had any problems with blood or bodily fliuids except for those two times. I was kind of surprised by my reaction to these two incidences and little down on myself. Then I thought maybe it was b/c it was my son and hubby. I just didn't understand what had happened to me b/c my daddy was a big hunter so I was cleaning deer when I was five years old. I also grew up on a farm castrating goats and that type of stuff. Hopefully my interest in the procedure will overcome any queezyness but I will be sure to eat a good breakfast!
I personally don't have problems seeing my family members in such a way. I was a nursing student when my husband had a chainsaw incident. He sliced into his anterior thigh pretty deep. I acted fast. I grabbed a white sheet placed it on the wound tied part of the sheet above the wound around his upper thigh and drove him to ER. The doctor told me I did a pretty good job. He commended me for not washing out the wound. He said I could have infected it. My husband received 36 stitches. That was 14 yrs ago. He does have a nasty scar though.
Last year at my twin nieces baptism we had a get together afterwards. We were all sitting outside on the patio when one of the older set of twins (Kennedy) started choking. She turned blue than began to pass out. I performed the Heimlich (sp) and got the food up. I've done it at work and have went on with my day. After that experience with my niece whom I am very close too, I thought I was going to pass out. Knees shaking, had to sit down immediately, head between knees, etc. The worst experience of my life. I didn't have a team of nurses, dr's, etc if I wasn't able to get her breathing again.
I can be a part of a code on a baby in the hospital and be ok, but I can't perform the Heimlich on my niece. I was in tears and a hot mess!
The experience I have as a nurse has helped me in true family emergencies.
With some experience, a nurse learns to silence the internal panic button and think clearly in order to act competently when a patient is in trouble. I compare it to a soldier who is drilled enough to not run and hide when bullets start flying.
When my son had status epilepticus, my first actions and thoughts after having my husband call 911, where the A-B-C's of emergency care. I even found myself looking at the time, and noticing details I would need for a complete report of what happened.
I dont feel that I handle things the greatest with family members.I guess it is because I try so hard not to overreact,that I may not react just right all the time.I have always found it difficult to treat family.After seeing the doc,I am ok.I am talking about the big stuff.When my mother was all of the sudden told she had cancer and was not going to be around much longer,I didnt even believe it.I never did,until I had no choice.I am a sensible person,but sometimes,I guess you loose it!
Thanks for all of your replies! This gives me some relief. I have never had any problems with blood or bodily fliuids except for those two times. I was kind of surprised by my reaction to these two incidences and little down on myself. Then I thought maybe it was b/c it was my son and hubby. I just didn't understand what had happened to me b/c my daddy was a big hunter so I was cleaning deer when I was five years old. I also grew up on a farm castrating goats and that type of stuff. Hopefully my interest in the procedure will overcome any queezyness but I will be sure to eat a good breakfast!
Thanks to you All!
:redbeatheMarie:redbeathe
Interesting because I definitely couldn't handle the deer and goat stuff...
With family members not too much trouble. Fortunately the worse I've had to nurse my DH through has been pulled wisdom teeth, food poisioning and flu. However when my cat was hit by a car it was a different story. Don't laugh but when the vet said she had a diaphramtic hernia and needed to be vented I almosted passed out. The room literally closed in on me. I remember thinking "I know what all thosewrds mean" My cat spent the night in pet ICU then had surgery. She did fine and when the stitches came out I was fine. It was my BIL who came with me that nearly hit the floor. ER vets rock especially the ones who take call 5 minutes before the offices hours are over:bowingpur
4theBetterGetter, RN
121 Posts
Oh yes I am not very functional as a nurse when it is my family hurting! For example...my daughter had a dystonic reaction to compazine a while back . She presented to the ED c/o not being able to close her jaw....back to exam room....went into major dystonic reation...bowing back and all..........I fell apart! The md ,whom I know well , just laughed at me and handed me to my sister in law! LOL:yeah: