Do nurses have to clean up vomit?

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From my knowledge, they do have to wipe behinds every now and then and perform injections, but do nurses also have to clean up vomit? Sorry for asking this or if it may seem like a "duh" question because I'm leaning more towards the answer being 'yes', but I want a definite answer. Preferalbe from nurses who have had to do it. How was the experience? How to you deal with it? I think I would vomit myself just from the sight of it, let alone the smell :(

You betcha. I heard somewhere that wearing a mask with a tea bag in it helps to relieve the smell. Also, breathe through your mouth.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

I Keep a small jar of Vicks Vaporub handy in my pocket for those moments.......I also spray my shoulders with febreeze, ozium, or perfume so that I can sniff my shoulder.

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Specializes in Pedi.

Yes you have to clean it up and once you've been working as a nurse for a while, you'll start to feel lucky if the patient vomits in the basin, in the bed, on the floor, in the trash, etc and not ON YOU!

At my facility, environmental services will not clean up vomit. If a patient vomits on the floor, I have to clean it up and then they will come wash the floor. If the patient vomits on himself or in the bed, everything gets changed and sometimes the patient needs a full bath in the middle of the night.

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Specializes in CV/CT SICU.

There are worse smells than vomit like C.Diff..

Also at my hospital, whenever you call EVS to come mop/clean something, the first thing out of their mouth is "Are there any bodily fluids?" They cannot and will not touch it..

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As Esme12 says, a little Vicks Vapo-Rub will do the trick . . . Learned this from the ME in my county, who also suggests the use of cheap cigars (obviously only an option in some limited non-hospital circumstances).

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Specializes in none.
From my knowledge, they do have to wipe behinds every now and then and perform injections, but do nurses also have to clean up vomit? Sorry for asking this or if it may seem like a "duh" question because I'm leaning more towards the answer being 'yes', but I want a definite answer. Preferalbe from nurses who have had to do it. How was the experience? How to you deal with it? I think I would vomit myself just from the sight of it, let alone the smell :(

It is part of the Nursing Process. Only TV nurses don't have to get involved with the real nitty-gritty. How else are you going to tell what is going on with the G.I. track.

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Specializes in Med Surg - Renal.
From my knowledge, they do have to wipe behinds every now and then and perform injections, but do nurses also have to clean up vomit? Sorry for asking this or if it may seem like a "duh" question because I'm leaning more towards the answer being 'yes', but I want a definite answer. Preferalbe from nurses who have had to do it. How was the experience? How to you deal with it? I think I would vomit myself just from the sight of it, let alone the smell :(

Nah, we don't clean it up. We just leave it there on the patient, the floor or the wall and hope it hardens fast so it doesn't smell too long.

Not only do we clean it up, we do a complete assessment on it. Thin? Thick? Chunky? Green? Yellow? White? Red? Black? (When did the patient eat "coffee grounds??") Is there a lot? A little? Does it smell like Acid? Poo? Is there undigested meds in it?

Patients often think nurses are weird because we "love" to have them save things that come out of their body and scrutinize them.

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There are things WAY worse than vomit...things that I never would have imagined the human body could be capable of producing...lol :)The trick is to sniff an alcohol wipe to block your sense of smell for a little bit, then put on a surgical mask, and think happy thoughts while you clean up the mess.

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Specializes in ED, ICU, PSYCH, PP, CEN.

vicks under (in) the nose

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There are things WAY worse than vomit...things that I never would have imagined the human body could be capable of producing...lol :)The trick is to sniff an alcohol wipe to block your sense of smell for a little bit, then put on a surgical mask, and think happy thoughts while you clean up the mess.

Oohh, I like that. Sucking on a Halls cough drop under a mask works great too.

I've heard about the Vicks thing, and it makes sense. I have just never gotten around to buying any.

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Specializes in Med Surg.

Vomit is the one thing I really don't like. Poop, no problem. Blood, OK. Vomit, I avert my eyes and mentally go somewhere else. Still have to clean it up, though. You do get more used to it.

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Ah!

Fashback moment:

Washing and combing vomit out of really long hair.

What a mess!

I was barely able to keep my pokerface on to clean it out from between the toes... that almost threw me over the edge.

Or how about when the pt has both diarrhea and vomit.

God love us all!

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