Should I be THIS freaked out over vomit????

Nurses New Nurse

Published

OK, so I'm not even in Nursing school yet, I'm still working on my pre-requisites... BUT I am excited to start and have really been reading a lot of these forums and researching different fields of Nursing.. BUT the other night I had to take my husband to the ER and we heard another patient down the hall just heaving and puking SO loudly, almost like he was dying. I had to cover my ears and I got nauseous and my heart started racing. Then the WHOLE rest of the day and night I am obsessing over it, and I keep hearing the sounds over and over like it is haunting me, which makes me feel like Im going to throw up. I mean, is this rediculous or what? What is going to happen when I go to clinicals and have to take care of someone like that? I am afraid I will run out of the room covering my ears. Please tell me I will get better. (Im even a mom, and I'm still like this)

P.S. I know you experienced nurses are probably laughing at me right now, but seriously this is my only fear!!! haha

Specializes in Cardiac Telemetry/PCU, SNF.

I think every nurse has their bodily fluid that grosses them out. Some it's poop, some renal failure urine (y'know that dark syrupy kind - yeah, mine), some it's sputum - one of my charge nurses who's been a nurse for 30+ years goes green at the thought of suctioning a trach. Your's might just be vomit. It's ok. Just go to your "happy place", breathe through your mouth and think happy thoughts 'cause it will be over quick.

:barf01:

couldn't resist...

Cheers,

Tom

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I certainly don't enjoy the "vomitosis" but I'm getting very good at catching it in a bucket so I can deal with it. What I can barely handle is blood in a tube. Blood on the floor, blood oozing out of a person, bloody anything is ok, but as soon as you put it in a tube I feel like borrowing the bucket from the barfing patient. When I do a draw I have to put my hand around the tube or syringe and just peek at it from time to time. When I have to give blood I give myself a pep talk in the supply room. Anyway, my point is that I am afraid of blood in a tube but I do it and soon you will be doing the vomit too.

Also one other thing that helps is on my shift assessment I look under the sink and make sure there is a bucket for each person and as soon as they sound wretchy I grab it. And skip the stupid little emesis basins--get the big square buckets and stick it under their face, hold their hair and look away.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Critical Care Float - ICU / ED / PACU.

don't worry.... everyone has that one thing that they can't 'deal with'

mine is the smell of urine.... some reason when i do a ua dip, or empty the foley and accidently get a whiff of it - i about yak..... :barf01:

(oops.... no pun intended! ha ha) ;)

but seriously, stick with it..... you'll get used to it. by the end of school - you'll be able to block it out and find ways to get around it!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Peds/Neo CCT,Flight, ER, Hem/Onc.

You are getting some great advice and support. As you see most of us have our breaking point. I don't do chunky puke...not ever! So I find the nurse who can't stand GI bleed stool and trade off cleanups because it doesn't bother me in the least. If worse comes to worse you can always stuff alcohol swabs up your nose. It works long enough to find a chux and cover up the nasty stuff. In my case I switched back to Peds and in my job any queasy kid gets an NG to suction-no puke in the aircraft or MICU LOL!!!!!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

How often does one encounter puke on a daily or weekly basis? I may be able to cope better if I knew it only happened once in a while. I love all the advice and feel much better knowing I'm not the only one!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Yeah this is great, thanks for all the advice. I feel a little more encouraged now. I just have to learn how to block out the sound! The sound is the worst part for me. Maybe I can sneak in an IPOD!! haha OH WELL I'll get through it I guess.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Telemetry & Obs.
How often does one encounter puke on a daily or weekly basis? I may be able to cope better if I knew it only happened once in a while. I love all the advice and feel much better knowing I'm not the only one!

I've been a nurse about 16 months and I've only had to deal with vomitus once or twice. Certainly not daily or weekly.

Maybe I've been lucky??

Seriously, though...usually I deal with ANY "problem" by focusing on the patient. It's no fun for them either, you know :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×

The sound gets me sometimes, but it's the smell of vomit that gets me for sure. It comes from being in my first trimester when I was a new nurse and got a woman on the liver-transplant floor (I was a float nurse and it was the best thing that I ever did), and when I lifted the sheet covering her I got the biggest whiff of a MASSIVE lactulose stool and started retching right there. The NA took one look at my face and pushed me gently out saying "I'll handle it, honey." (God bless her forever more!) After I finished retching and heaving I told the charge nurse I didn't think I could take this patient. Being the new float nurse, they wanted to give me the easiest patient on the floor, and this woman was it. They told me to put on a mask and that cut out the smells enough that I could finish the shift. I've also learned since then the best thing to use under your nose is something with wintergreen/peppermint/spearmint/menthol - I.E Vicks or some similar rub (seen Silence of the Lambs and the autopsy scene, anyone?). Put that on and a mask and you can't really smell it. That might even help with hearing things, I don't know, but just knowing you won't smell what they are loudly retching up might help. EVERYBODY has their 'thing' that they don't handle. If you have a problem, remember the patient is probably going to be even more embarrassed than you are, and just be gentle with them and yourself.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

During my wait to get into the local ADN program, I'm working as a phlebotomist in a large, regional hospital. I was working in the lab of large medical practice, but transferred over to the hospital to get used to the "icky stuff" so it's no big deal when I start the nursing program. I feared my aversion to puke, the sound of vomiting and other gnarly, body-fluid producing processes would be a huge obstacle to overcome.

After about two months of working on the floor, I can now look at the contents of a NG cannister and not feel like a cat about to cough up a fermented hairball. I can block out most nasty "what-the-hell-IS-that" smells. And, vomit no longer scares me. Today I drew blood on this guy who decided he was going to blow chunks about 5 seconds after I got the needle in his arm. I simply handed him the wash basin (one of the large square ones....has ANYONE ever seen a patient successfuly vomit into a traditional emesis basin???) and proceeded to draw 7 vials of blood as he vomited up his lunch.

Who knew vomit was so easy?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

That is the most encouraging thing I have EVER heard! THANK YOU!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

janfrn's response seems cruel, not to mention unprofessional - INSTRUCTING nauseated patients not to vomit since you don't "do" vomit, and then suctioning their mouth while they ARE vomiting?

Sometimes vomiting is the only thing that cures nausea, and to instruct miserable-feeling patients not to vomit....! And then subjecting them to mouth suctioning when they do just for your own convenience! Unbelievable!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

janfrn's response seems cruel, not to mention unprofessional - INSTRUCTING nauseated patients not to vomit since you don't "do" vomit, and then suctioning their mouth while they ARE vomiting?

Sometimes vomiting is the only thing that cures nausea, and to instruct miserable-feeling patients not to vomit....! And then subjecting them to mouth suctioning when they do just for your own convenience! Unbelievable!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment