Fainting Nursing Student

[NS94, BSN]

I am finished up my second year of nursing school and have never had a fainting problem at clinical before. However, in the middle of my Labor and delivery clinical I have had 2 fainting experiences. the first one was when I saw an epidural being placed. I didnt see the needle being inserted but when the pt began moaning in pain I became very light headed and had to leave the room. The second time was when i watched a circumcision for the first time. I was fine until the baby started screaming. Both times I felt so bad for the patients because I knew they were in a lot of pain, and once I started thinking about that pain I feel faint immediately. How do I stop this? I want to be a L&D nurse. I have watched lady partsl and C-sections and have not had a problem. It's only when I see the patients' faces and "feel" their physical pain. It's as if I can imagine myself in their position, then I faint.

[Sour Lemon]

I imagine that you'll get used to it if that's the area you'd like to be in. I don't think I could ever get used to circumcisions, though ...nope!
I had to walk out of a c-section for a similar reason. The surgical part didn't bother me, but the patient was screaming and crying in a "horrific" manner and it made me extremely nauseous. I wasn't expecting it and my mind categorized it incorrectly, I guess. Medical "gore" doesn't usually bother me, but suffering does.

[Buddy Christ]

Does watching videos of similar experiences evoke the same feelings and provoke feeling faint? Maybe you can watch a bunch of these in your private time and become desensitized to the experience. At least if you faint at home it will be in the comfort of your own chair/bed or whatever. Syncope is generally involuntary, but surely there is a way to rewire your brain into accepting seeing these things and staying conscious. At some point you are going to have to watch patients suffer, so you might have to attempt to solve your physical intolerance to it.

Just thinking out loud here, maybe if you consume a bunch of caffeine or other stimulants before seeing the traumatic experience, then it will force you to stay conscious. Surely someone out there has tried this. This is a temporary solution and has its own negative cardiovascular effects, but at least it would keep someone awake and from not passing out, risking a cranial injury from falling. But again this seems like a simple solution to a complicated neurological problem and I'm not going to claim to have all the answers. A long-term solution would be much more beneficial. If you find anything works or doesn't work, you should let us know! Queesiness is an s.o.b. that we still lack permanent solutions for

[Jory, MSN, APRN, CNM]

My advice is to go see your PCP and have some blood work performed to make sure you don't have a medical issue. While fainting can because by emotions being overwhelmed, having two instances fairly close together is unusual. What you are having is called a pre-syncope episode.

[Apples&Oranges]

I almost fainted and vomited when I saw a circumcision. I had no idea how barbaric it would be. Not to judge anyone else's "sensibilities" or experience, but I think anyone who doesn't react negatively to that, at least a little, at least the first couple times might be a bit "off." That said, I don't have a problem with most other surgical procedures, except for bone marrow or punch skin biopsies. OMG, I absolutely refuse to be in the room, they make me lightheaded.

Everyone has their things they can't stand. Like mucus, or invasive eye surgery. Or broken teeth. Ugh, I have to stop. See what I mean?

But watching a dressing change with muscle, bone, tendon exposed is no big deal for me, same with caring for a patient who has no skull, and exposed brain after a crani, or going to cadaver lab and practicing bone drills or excision on dead bodies. No big deal.

Again, everyone has their things they simply cannot do.