First night on the floor and showed weakness in front of family

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Specializes in Geriatrics.

My orientator and I were preparing to flush a G-tube and the nurse warned me that sometimes the patient upchucks. (No matter what, vomit is the one thing I cannot deal with) So I'm standing there with the barf pan just in case and this lady's daughter comes in to visit. No sooner had she gotten there, when this lady started spewing. I handed/tossed the pan to the other nurse and ran out of the room; I called for an aide to go in there with her. The daughter came out to get a washrag and gave me a dirty look.

I feel like such a failure! How in the world do I overcome this vomit phobia I have? I apologized to all involved and no one seemed overly concerned but me. ARGH!

Blessings, Michelle

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Specializes in Med/Surge, Psych, LTC, Home Health.

It's not that unusual to have something that you absolutely cannot tolerate. I've known of nurses who simply cannot tolerate sputum, no matter what. So try not to feel too bad, okay?

The bad news is that you will come across lots of vomit during your nursing career. Chances are, you will eventually just get used to it....

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Specializes in Cardiac Telemetry, ED.

Get used to those dirty looks. Didn't you know, nurses aren't supposed to be human?

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Specializes in ER.

Running out of the room is more than a little rude. You can turn your back, and even gag a little without being offensive. Abandoning ship whenever you're challenged is not an option. If you have to, make an excuse to run an errand for a facecloth, or a blanket, whatever.

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Specializes in ICU/ER.

I am sorry you have vomit phobia, but if I was the pt whose room you ran out of, I would feel all of 2 inches tall. I am sure that pt didnt want to vomit, I am sure she already felt bad about it. If I then saw my mother feeling embarassed or ashamed over her vomiting I would probably give you dirty looks too. That is just human nature.

That family does not know you have a vomit phobia all they know is "that nurse is disgusted by my mom"

I despise phlem, cant stand to even hear it gurgeling around, but if my pt needs suctioned well I need to suction them. I try and focus on the call light, or the water pitcher. I swallow, I take shallow breaths, I push my tounge against the roof of my mouth, I count to 10. I get through it. I dont like it and more than once have gulped and stepped away, but I have never ran out of the room.

I hope you will be able to learn mind tricks to get through your vomit phobia, as I dont want pts/familys/staff to label you as some who cant handle it. We all know people are WAY too judgemental as it is, you dont need to add any fuel to thier fire.

Best of luck!!!

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Specializes in LTC, Med/Surg, Peds, ICU, Tele.

Canoehead has a good idea to run out to get some 'necessary' item to cover up your need to gather your wits.

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I hope you will be able to learn mind tricks to get through your vomit phobia

I agree, "mind-tricks" help i.e. keeping your eyes staring at something above the patient, being supportive, even gagging ...I have the same problem and a few times it has been a close call if I would throw up along with the patient LOL.....talking in a low supportive voice helps cover the sound of gagging *winks* and staring at something as inane as a call light thinking that REALLY needs to be cleaned, housekeeping hasn't done a good job etc. i.e. concentrating your mind on something else helps.

Looking at it from the daugher's angle she could possibly imagine you running out when her mother was in distress as abandoning in time of need, or even wonder if you would leave other times... say if you were helping her mother to the bathroom and she started to throw up mid-way there.

I feel like such a failure!

We all do the best we can at the time something happens and hopefully learn/improve as best we can, no one is perfect yet most nurses are expected to be that perfect person.

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Specializes in ICU, PACU, Cath Lab.

What would have happened if you had been in the room alone? I mean at least there was another nurse there with you so when you took off the patient was still being cared for. There are things I hate...I hate sputum and vomit, but if my patient needs help I do it...now I am not saying I have never been gagging in there, I think about something else, and take a few deep breaths, regain my composure and keep plugging away.

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Specializes in Geriatrics.
What would have happened if you had been in the room alone? I mean at least there was another nurse there with you so when you took off the patient was still being cared for. There are things I hate...I hate sputum and vomit, but if my patient needs help I do it...now I am not saying I have never been gagging in there, I think about something else, and take a few deep breaths, regain my composure and keep plugging away.

I did her meds tonight just fine and she gagged some but didn't vomit. I asked my orientator if I could take an aide in there with me when I'm charging alone when I do her meds...she said sure, that others have done that too. If I was by myself I would just hold the pan, make sure she was upright and look away and probably sing or hum. Then throw up myself later. I would try as hard as I could to compose myself...I mean, all she would be vomiting is her formula and maybe the meds we put in there.

I've just got to overcome this. I can do phlegm and suctioning...in fact, during a Code Blue one of my residents threw up scrambled eggs and I just suctioned it all up and was able to do that; I should be able to do this.

Blessings, Michelle

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