What Gets to You??

Specialties Emergency

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You are reading page 9 of What Gets to You??

ratchetrn

18 Posts

I've always been the sympathetic vommiter too! It's the combo for me:the retching, gagging, slimy, stench of it all! :barf01:

But the newest stench that has gotten to me lately is that homeless, alcohol, never wash or brush, funk! Ew w ew!:eek:

Kidrn911

331 Posts

Specializes in Peds ED, Peds Stem Cell Transplant, Peds.

I detest eyeball:sofahider

and hate pelvics on Rot Crouch :nono:

ArmyKitten

110 Posts

Specializes in Med-Surg, Ortho, & Tele all on one ward!.

I can handle just about anything- even C-diff poop....but the sound (and sight) of chunky snot being suctioned out of someone's throat or nose makes me loose it and gag. Something about that sound coupled with the chunks moving up the tube.....ick!!

I also don't handle eye injuries well. I remember back when I was a brand new nursing student getting my first nursing textbook and being so excited I started flipping through the pages. The very first part I randomly flipped to was a page in a procedure manual that told how to remove an artificial eye and clean the socket. I think I slammed the book shut and spend the next week debating if I really wanted to enter the nursing program. If I see an eye injury or any eye inflammation at all I immediately start blinking, tearing, and wincing.

ilnurse35

5 Posts

I despise suctioning someone. I hate the sound and the mucus. Vomit used to get me, but I can take it now, as long as there isn't a GI bleed. Also, bloody stool smell.:barf01:

cannonball95

2 Posts

Pilonidal cyst drainage has got to be the worst...especially if it squirts out and hits someone...The smell fills the whole ER and seems to get into your nose for hours. Whadayathink?

LuvMyGamecocks

184 Posts

Specializes in Cardiac, Acute/Subacute Rehab.

Wow...so, so many gross things. And ya know, I can't imagine the average citizen being able to hold onto their cookies (or even consciousness) if they were exposed to half of what you ER nurses get. There is a special place in heaven for nurses...I'm convinced!!

Though I'm not a nurse yet and don't think I can testify to all the horrible smells and sights, I think the two things that would get me the most are:

1. Colostomy bags - my 4 month old nephew has a colostomy bag. Changing that sucker or emptying the air...that has got to be the most putrid smell known to man. Instant gagging for me, and I even tried the Vicks!!

2. Seeing an accident happen - I know that as ER nurses you get the "cleanup" but seeing the accident happen? I saw a show on TV of "Incredible Home Videos." One was a teen boy that jumped, missed his skateboard, put his hand out to stop his fall and his forearm promptly snapped into a V shape....felt sick for weeks, I tell you. Another one was a man that was in a kickboxing match, and gave what looked like an innocent kick with his right leg to the man's left side. When he brought his leg back around, he tried to stand on his leg, but it immediately collapsed and it looked like he was standing on the top part of his lower leg with the bottom half kinda flapping to side (broken tibia and fibula about midway). Turns my stomach, but I can't get the image out of my head.

Nasty stuff, y'all. Can't WAIT to get there!!!!!!

Fraggle

125 Posts

double diapers. It drives me crazy when a nursing home patient comes in with two diapers on and maybe a chux thrown in for good measure.

I'm not a real fan of oral care, either. :idea: I've done it one in the ED b/c the patient kept showing me her teeth and some were bright booger green. But when I swabbed, they turned out to be actual hard green mucus pieces jammed into missing tooth spaces. I almost yacked that time.

LuvMyGamecocks

184 Posts

Specializes in Cardiac, Acute/Subacute Rehab.

So, is that kinda like boogers in their teeth? :barf01: And you only ALMOST yacked?

Boogers in the teeth....that's hard core funky.

supernurse65

87 Posts

Specializes in MR Peds, geris, psych, DON,ADON,SSD.

I can handle just about anything after 22 years in nursing. I can suction a trach with one hand and eat a sandwich with the other,clean up poop and vomit after a little sympathetic gagging and blood...bring it on.. but................ dentures make me yak:eek:

nurse_clown

227 Posts

well this may be a little off the subject but it has bothered me every since i have taken this job! what bothers me is someone that you work with,actually is suspose to work in the office,tries to tell you how to do your job,when they should be in their office doing pay roll or something ! and i am on the floor taking care of patients or getting blood or whatever! and you have someone that does not have any experience try to tell you something that you know is not right!!!!! i am careful with how i respond to her because she is the office mgr. so how do you deal with someone like that!!! :angryfire

What gets to me about that post :angryfire is that!!! the "office personel" telling front line nursing staff what their job is and how to do it. :nono: I'm not sure how you deal with that. the CEO of our organization makes more $$ than the Prime Minister of Canada!!!! What's up with that? This person annoys me to no end because this person isn't even have a smidge of experience as a health care provider. :uhoh21: This person got a degree in business administration. Hmmm..... suddenly beds and whole units are closing, there are layoffs etc. etc. :barf01: then we get some patient who thinks they are at the "Marriot" hotel and has the nerve to tell me that "this hospital sucks". :eek: Thanx!!!

so, yes, i know what you mean. but i haven't a clue what to do about it.

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