Fainted while watching blood being drawn... Advice for nursing student?

Nurses General Nursing

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So, I am a sophomore in college in a BSN program. I went last week to job shadow an RN in the med surg department at a local hospital. I was nervous about this experience being that it was my first time being in a medical work environment for several hours and I wanted it to go very well. Soon after I got there, the RN was called into a room to draw blood from a patient so I followed her into the warm room. As she was drawing the blood from the patient, I was very focused on the needle because I wanted to get myself used to (and desensitized to) blood and needles being that I'm going to be having to deal with them a lot. Anyways, it was taking her a long time because the vein was giving her trouble. One second I was fine and then I started seeing spots everywhere and knew I was going to faint. I took off my jacket and sat down and sure enough blacked out. Needless to say, it was kind of embarrassing that I passed out just by looking at the needle and blood. However, I do have a history of fainting from getting too hot or having blood work. And I'm pretty sure I was locking my knees and not breathing right because my sinuses were messed up at the time. (And yes I did eat breakfast) But, I thought for sure that if I watched someone else having blood work done that it won't bother me. Afterward, I was upset, thinking maybe nursing is not for me but I looked up the topic online and saw that other students have had the same problem with fainting and that made me feel a lot better and made me think this is something I can work on. So, I was wondering if any of you have had this fainting issue while starting out in school and if you have grown out of it or any advice you might have for me? Thanks!

Specializes in Oncology, OCN.
I almost passed out once when I was a student, watching a resident starting an epidural anesthesia...she was good and she got it, but it took a long time to find the right spot initially, and the idea of a gigantic needle going near someone's spine really irked me.

I also got to watch a pretty intense and complicated c-section and one of the observers, also a nursing student, passed out. Not from the site but from the smell of cauterization. It is not uncommon, you just need to get used to it.

I passed out from watching a c-section on my OB rotation and I'm pretty sure it was from the cauterization smell. I felt myself getting light headed I focused on my breathing and looked away from the operation hoping to settle myself. Didn't improve so I looked for an out of the way corner to sit myself down in at which point on of the nurses asked me what was wrong. Told them I was getting light headed and suddenly I've got a nurse on each elbow and I'm being escorted out of the OR and down to the nurses station. I didn't make it all the way to the nurses station before I passed out, though I think if they had sat me down in the hallway I wouldn't have passed out.

I also got light headed and felt faint midway through watching a broncoscopy, ended up sitting in a corner focusing on my breathing feeling hot and sweaty. I think that was a bit of motion sickness. The camera twisting and turning so much and you don't know where it's going next. I don't know what it was. I was nervous when I assigned to spend a clinical day watching endoscopys and colonoscopys that it'd happen again. I made sure to not focus too much on watching the monitor, relax my breathing, etc but I had zero issues that day and obsevered 6 procedures I think.

I'm in my last week of nursing school right now and haven't had issues with anything else. I think as long as I stay out of the OR I'll be fine.

Specializes in Urgent Care, Oncology.

I'm in my last week of nursing school right now and haven't had issues with anything else.

Awww, best of luck to you! Congratulations!

Specializes in Psychiatry/Mental Health.

I agree with the posts that recommended hydration (and calming yourself, if possible). I am not usually a "fainter", but came close once, prior to a c-section, before the procedure even started. I'd seen them before, but always as the hand-holder. I think I was just excited and dehydrated. I didn't drink a lot of water so that I wouldn't have to use the bathroom. Don't be like me!

Specializes in Emergency, Telemetry, Transplant.
That is utter nonsense.

And it is looking unlikely that we will get clarification on that. Us ********s want to know what was meant with this comment.

Specializes in Med-Tele; ED; ICU.

I've been very light-headed twice.

Once as a volunteer watching a doc do a minor surgical procedure to remove a lump from someone's scalp and once in nursing school while watching a podiatrist debride a wound without sufficient analgesia.

I've never had another issue since and now I've seen and done enough that there's nothing that bothers me anymore.

It's just a matter of acclimation.

Oh sweet mother of hairless baby jessie!!!

Sorry this happened!

But, me thinks, it's comical!

I do sympathize :)

A phobic response to blood can be easy to overcome or impossible to get past life long even with the best psychiatric care although apparently some of the newer medications might help you. the old fashioned way was to put yourself in a position to faint over and over again until the response changes. It is often a non trivial issue. In essence your mind has learned to take things like fear, worries and anger and bundle them up so that you don't notice them much at all. the sight of blood then acts like a trigger and you faint from the stress of what you are feeling. Perhaps putting on a lot of safety gear like a helmet, elbow and knee pads and exposing yourself to a lot of gore might help. I am trained in first aid but many times can not provide it if a lot of blood is present.

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