Emetophobia!!!!!

[Francesca_H]

I'm really having trouble deciding if nursing is the career for me. For YEARS, I've dreamt about one day working as a nurse, and my ambitions soared after I started volunteering at my local pediatric hospital. I absolutely LOVE the environment and a few years ago I participated in the Nursing Camp that same hospital offers for young adolescents who want to pursue nursing.

The camp was a week long and each day we would be in a different unit of the hospital [Psych, NICU, PICU, Cardio Cath Lab, and OR for example]. It was such a great experience to really see what happened during the day in a specific area, but I fell in love with the operating room. I got to stand in on a few surgeries, and it changed my life.

I'm asking for help and advice because for a while I was contemplating just becoming a Surgical Technician so I could immediately start working in an OR and help surgeons. I sort of pushed aside my nursing goal because I had the idea that a Surgical Tech would be easier for me and require a lot less schooling. But then I compared salaries and how limited the technician job is and it made me change my mind. I also learned that the Surgical Techs at the hospital I volunteer at [and someday hope to work at!] only prepare the room for the surgery, then they leave. I want to actually be involved, and that turned me off that career even more.

My main issue is I'm nervous for the clinical work, specifically vomit and fecal matter! Blood I can handle, no sweat. But I'm scared that I'll be in over my head and not be able to handle the cleaning/changing of patients, which saddens and worries me. I keep reading posts that many people eventually get over the unpleasant sights and smells, but any other advice or personal experience would be GREATLY appreciated!

Can you wear a mask or something when cleaning or dealing with vomit and poop? Just curious.

Also, when beginning how long does it typically take to specialize in something, like becoming a surgical nurse. I have to get in that OR eventually! If anyone could explain the process to me, that'd be AWESOME!

Sorry for such a long post! Any feedback or comments would be extremely helpful!

[Francesca_H]

I'm talking about becoming a scrub or circulating nurse.

[CuriousMe]

I'm talking about becoming a scrub or circulating nurse.

They are learning what they need in their preceptorship and in their new grad orientation.

[Francesca_H]

Oh okay great, it definitely makes more sense now.

[sirI, MSN, APRN, NP]

I've been a Nurse and Nurse Practitioner for years.

I've never been able to handle vomiting patients.

I have vomited right along with them. I have tried many things like perfume on the upper lip (that ruined that brand of perfume for me), chewing gum (dry heaving with gum in the mouth=risk of aspiration), and sucking on peppermint (see aspiration).

So, I take deep breaths, breathe out of my mouth, and try to imagine myself on a block of ice (yeah, odd, but it does help).

[Mommy TeleRN, RN]

As far as specialization, depends on the hiring practices of your local hospitals. When I graduated, everyone pretty much was on a level playing field. When you got hired after passing NCLEX, you could go into ER, ICU, OR, Med-Surg, Tele, etc and you completed orientation for that specific area. There were internships basically that were 6-9 months long (most hospitals are only 3 months however).

Some hospitals, especially now, can be more picky. For instance my current facility is applying for magnet and are only hiring BSN prepared new grads. I think they are being more selective in the specialty areas especially and do not hire new grads into some of them, like CVICU. You must have med-surg experience first. Bottom line, depends on the hospital.

As far as vomit, feces - I am the gag QUEEN. But overtime it isn't as bad. I can handle incontinent patients better than dumping a bedside commode for some reason lol. For vomit, try and hold it as far from you as you can and flush quickly. Technically you should measure it though, sometimes I just can't though! Yes you can wear a mask as it's part of personal protection equipment and if someone is vomiting that is a potential exposure. But as was mentioned above, they don't do much for smell.

I have been known to tear an alcohol swab to take a whiff of...also baby powder squirted over smelly things helps mask the smell until you can get it dumped.

There are areas of nursing with less exposure to these things. If you work more with ambulatory patients who can do their own toileting for instance. Procedural areas have to deal with it less than say med-surg. Med-surg would have to deal with it less than ICU because they have CNAs who do most of the toileting.

It was funny a few weeks ago I was working ICU and had a pt that had diarrhea like 6x during my shift. His son was helping me and I noticed him gagging and turning his head away so after that I got another staff member to help me. But for me, I didn't even notice the smell at all! I thought WOW I have finally gotten used to this! lol