fear of vomit?

Summershores · Oct 28, 2006

i get grossed out by genital warts. I had a patient that wanted hers washed constantly because they were sore.

of course i cleaned her but my god!! it was nasty lol

Natkat, BSN, MSN, RN · Oct 28, 2006

Ugh! My "thing" is wounds and loogies.

I can deal with blood, poop and vomit - no problem. I was ookie at first but I think you get desensitized with each exposure. LOL. I may or may not get over wounds though. I also can't stand the sight or sound of someone working up a loogie. I know I could never be a respiratory therapist.

night owl · Oct 28, 2006

I've always had a fear of vomit. In my 30 years in nursing, it has never gotten any better. My biggest fear is having a noro virus run through my facility. It happened about 4 years ago and I'll tell you, it was a living HELL! After day two I had to call out sick not because I was sick, but because I couldn't stand it any more. People were vomiting everywhere and I hope to God it never happens again! When my kids were small and they would get sick, my husband had to take over because I was useless. As a nurse, that's pretty bad and I was ashamed of myself, but thank God for my husband and my savior.

RN007 · Oct 28, 2006

Yes, it's respiratory slime and oral care for me. Those spittle strings when you pull out the dentures ... gag. I have learned to work quite effectively with my peripheral vision.

On the very first day of clinicals in my first semester of nursing school, a friend of mine and I paired up to bathe a fairly immobile elderly woman. She was quite sweet and talkative and said the teeth in her head were her own. Well ... when my friend went in with the tooth brush, those permanent teeth moved. My friend jumped, and I thought I would fall to the floor laughing. Oh my goodness. We still laugh about that one. :roll

Moneypitt · Oct 29, 2006

Count me in the "I hate sputum" crowd. I also don't mind stool too much, but if it is in a colostomy bag, then I am truly grossed out. Go figure.

Jennifer, RN · Oct 29, 2006

I hate GI bleeds and funky foot odor. I mean, living on the street for months, wearing the same socks for months, foot odor. Or decomposed road kill that a pscyh pt brought in one night in his duffle bag. (We thought it was a dead person at first).

Vomit can not compare.

Not that I like the smell of vomit or stool. There are just worst smells.

Jennifer, RN · Oct 29, 2006

The one thing I really, truely hate is when a pt coughs on me. Yuck!!! Then, later, they get diagnosed with strep or the flu. How rude and inconsiderate. If they were home, they would cover their mouth!!!

peace_solace · Oct 30, 2006

You are not alone. I also have a fear of vomit; in fact I would call it a phobia. It has taken a lot for me to decide to face my fear and go to nursing school in spite of the fact that I am going to have to deal with it, because I know that in all other areas of nursing I am going to do really well.

I guess I just look at it like I am challenging myself and expanding my horizons, and that I am stronger for facing stuff than running away from it.

I posted a thread the other day about my fear of inserting NG tubes, mostly because it elicits the gag reflex and possible vomiting. I guess I just have the idea that if I keep facing it, it will eventually get easier. It has already gotten a lot better since I've had kids, and I refuse to let my fear control my life. But I definitely feel your pain. Hang in there!

Candice

Era · Oct 30, 2006

The first time I had to clean BM, I thought I'd die, but I have to say that after all these years, very little bothers me - except those people who bathe in perfume or aftershave.
As long as I have gloves on, I feel invincible.

:lol2: Me too! Give me double gloves and a pinny, I'm good. I can handle blood, other juices that the body produces ( LOL I'm rhyming here! Haha )

I can handle 'em all .... except thick greeny plugs of phlegm!! Yuk! See? I can't even spell it!! Is that how you spell it? Ewwwww. :uhoh3:

Antikigirl, ASN, RN · Oct 30, 2006

All medics have one thing (or more) they just can't handle...my hubby who is a paramedic can't stand respiratory secretions (but can handle it...just total gross out to the point of gagging)...me...you will laugh but it is eyes! I can't touch eyes, can't look at them if they are injured or red or I tear up and get sick to my stomach. I don't know why this is..but oh well.

I have friends that faint or vomit at the sight of vomit. Don't quite know how you get over that unless you do like some hypnosis or something...

My eye thing...I just try to change my mindset when giving eye drops (or have someone else do it..LOL, heck...my team knows I will handle their gross thing of the day even if it takes a long time just so I dont' have to put in eye drops! LOL! I try to think to myself...you are the person that makes the difference here, you are the professional and they need YOU to help them. Then I do it..smile and get out of the room incase my stomach gets overly queezy. I am getting better each time..maybe I will be free of this soon :).

jayne109, RN · Oct 30, 2006

Honestly, AOTB, vomit, cheesy toes and some sputum make me run for the hills. I happen to be a sympathetic vomiter so if someone is gagging, I run or gag. I can'thelp it! Peppermint oil helps though! Give me poop, urine, wounds, guts, but NO VOMIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

JenNJFLCA · Oct 30, 2006

Vomit is my "one thing." I'm fine with anything else. If my pt c/o nausea, the first thing I check for is if they have Zofran prescribed. If they tell me they are going to vomit right now, I find a basin/trash can/ whatever is around that can be used as an emesis basin, and do a brisk walk out of the room. The last thing anyone wants to see is the nurse throwing up with the patient. :lol2: When I have kids I have already made it clear to my finacee that he will have vomit duty, even though I am a nurse! :lol2: