fainting

Hey, we've all been there. I had a very wise nursing instructor who (comforting me after an 'episode' while watching a grisly debridement) told me that my reaction was actually a result of intense empathy for the patient - and empathy was a necessary to be a compassionate nurse. I've always been a fainter due to hyper-vagal response... even an immunization as a child would trigger it. I've fainted in a wide variety of circumstances, including a supermarket parking lot (had the flu)- LOL.

Seriously, learn to recognize an impending faint and take appropriate action so you don't end up pitching headfirst into an open chest or something & you'll be fine. With exposure, you will become more desensitized and less vulnerable. Based on my own experience, be sure you have a wingman/woman in the hospital who knows what's going on and can guard your unresponsive carcass, protecting your dignity until you come around. Otherwise, you could be 'treated' by overzealous residents and have a subclavian before you even realize it!!!

wear a mask even when it is not required for the procedure. That "barrier" helps you to separate yourself from the event. Remember that your expertise is HELPING the patient, not hurting. Eventually you will learn to disassociate to some extent, because you know what you are doing is for the best. Also, if you do not like what you see, close your eyes.

We have students every semester who faint. I have worked with many MD's over the years and heard all kinds of stories from med school days where someone fainted. It is a normal human reaction.

As every OR member/procedure nurse I've had the good fortune to be able to work with has said, if you're gonna faint just get as far away from the sterile field as possible and try to sit if you can. It happens.

That being said, a fellow student of mine fainted in the OR and in her attempt to not go near the sterile field grabbed the object next to her which turned out to be an IV pole, so she fainted, pushed the pole with her, which hit another object, and she created a domino effect across the room. What are the odds? She was mortified but the OR staff said it was actually a pretty funny day (once they made sure she was okay) :)

I have a medical condition and sometime will faint due to low blood sugar. I can remember being sooo embarassed because I fainted at clinicals once. I was talking to a nurse at a computer and BAM I was on the floor. I never fainted from blood, even when doing my ER internship! :) Haha just merely fainted cause I needed a glass of OJ. Haha. It is no shame even if you do faint the first time seeing something big. Pretty soon, it will be second nature! Some of those things you see really are shocking!

I can only imagine the background music to someone fainting is Johnny Cash, "I hear a train a com'n, it's com'n round the bend". Or the Dave Matthews band, "Crash Into Me" lyrics. :-)

I am actually worried about this too, that and gagging when cleaning up a patient. I can take blood and most things, I've seen a few autopsies, and that just got me even more interested, but couldn't get closer. But im worried more about the poop and vomit, that's the only thing that turns me off, i'll take blood and open wounds any day lol

I honestly have no idea how I am going to react. I have fainted in the past tho, for random reasons, so we shall see lol! Thanks everyone for the replies.

Whatever you do, just keep breathing. I noticed I hold my breath in order to be more precise/steady at something. Hahaha. That'll get me feeling dizzy real fast.

I never fainted but I do know a classmate that was close to fainting. She could not handle all the tools they were bringing in for a surgery so she excused herself.

I had a near miss the other week at clinical. I was able to observe a procedure in which the interventional radiologist threaded a catheter from the groin up through to the facial arteries to embolize a persistent nose bleed. Very cool! But the procedure took way longer than I expected, and I had to wear the lead apron and skirt, and a mask, and I was just getting so HOT and no where to lean or sit and breathing my own air inside the mask, and then I got to thinking about what was going on a little bit too much, and I could feel it coming. Luckily there was a little room to go sit in right outside of the procedure room, and the nurse went and got me orange juice. All I could think of was that she should be taking care of the patient, not me! But she said it was fine, it happens, not to worry. I sat there a little while until I recovered and then was able to just go back to the floor. I was absolutely mortified but I guess I'm not the first nor the last to have it happen.

I actually thought I might feel lightheaded and faint when having to put in IVs, but you end up concentrating on the patient and making them as comfortable as possible that you forget about yourself. Now, standing back watching an operation with nothing to keep your mind and hands occupied might be a different story! Lol! Our instructors told us the same thing "stand by a wall and don't touch anything"!!

I'm a fainter lol, I never have from medical procedures but if I'm dehydrated, haven't ate, too tired, any kind of sick whoosh I'm on the floor lol. If you have fainted before you kind of know what it feels like, if I'm not feeling well at clinical or lab I excuse myself and get a glass of water and sit for a second. Just know your body and don't be afraid to speak up if you don't feel well!