Future nurses getting used to the job

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Specializes in CCU, Geriatrics, Critical Care, Tele.

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Nurses and students, what is your weakness? You know you have one ?

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Specializes in Medical-Surgical, Education, Community Health.

Vomit still gets to me....

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Specializes in CCU, Geriatrics, Critical Care, Tele.

Not much bothers me. However, when I was a nursing student and had the opportunity to sit in and watch an open heart surgery, I had quite the experience.

I had only gotten a few hours of sleep, I was VERY EXCITED to watch my first surgery! Not sure what happened, but after watching the anesthetist poking around the pts neck with a long needle, I got queazy. The feeling passed.

The surgery started, all the sudden, the queazy feeling returned, one of the nurses saw the look in my eyes, and pointed me in the direction to the bathroom. Fortunately, I made it to the bathroom by myself, but unfortunately, I didn't get my mask off in time, and threw up in my mask.

I felt so embarrassed. I cleaned up as quickly as I could so I would not miss much. Got back in to watch the rest of the surgery (6 hours). However, I didn't get the smell of vomit out of my beard, so I had the lovely smell of vomit in my new clean mask for the remainder of the surgery. I was too proud to leave again, plus I didn't want to miss anything.

Never had another experience like this, I think it was more nerves than anything :)

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Mucus has always gotten me a little.

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Specializes in CCU, Geriatrics, Critical Care, Tele.

The odor of opening a colostomy bag full of gas. But, you learn to change your breathing in your mouth, out your nose, to avoid the smells, and put on a happy face so you don't make your patient feel bad.

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Specializes in Hospice, geriatrics.

I was on my OR rotation, and I was totally excited, despite the early hour - even with the threat of watching only colonoscopy after colonoscopy all day. However, I lucked out! I got to see a hysterectomy right out the gate, the installation of bio-mesh to fix a lady's incontinence, and then... then, the laparoscopic cholecystectomy. It was going great until the surgeon removed the tools from her belly and the smell of soldered flesh hit the air. I've usually got an iron stomach, but I actually flinched at the smell and my eyes started to water over my mask. The anesthetist saw, but luckily he smiled and told me he did the same thing the first time he ever smelled it. Glad I managed to keep it together - small town hospitals are not the place to lose your cookies in the OR!

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Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

Never barfed or passed out during clinicals, but I about lost my lunch the first time I assisted with a sharp debridement of a stage IV decub. It wasn't the wound itself that got to me, as bad as it looked (and smelled)......but the moment scalpel touched eschar, the contents of my stomach started chasing each other 'round and 'round, playing hide and go seek. :barf01:

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Specializes in OR, public health, dialysis, geriatrics.

What bothers me?

Blood-nope. Vomit-nope. Gun shot or knife wounds-nope. Sticking any kind of line inside someone's body-nope. Cautery in surgery-nope.

What gets me is:

Throat secretions. Even after 18 years I have to think of something else, anything else when I have to suction a trach.

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Specializes in As an aid: Med/surg, neuro, cardiac.

I have a really hard time with retching. It's not the vomit, not that that smells great or anything, but the sound of retching that makes my stomach turn as well. I also get the urge to cough whenever I have a patient who sounds really wet.

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Specializes in pediatrics, public health.

I can deal with mucus and I can deal with poop. What I can't deal with is mucus-y poop, especially if I have to collect a sample. The thought of it makes me want to retch even now, after nearly 2 years of having a job where I'm not exposed to any such secretions. I dealt with it by breathing through my mouth and collecting my sample as quickly as possible. Glad I don't have to do that any more!

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tHANKS EVERYONE FOR YOUR HONESTY! FOR ME ITS....CERTAIN SMELLS? POOP...VOMIT...IM TOLD (WORK WITH NURSES) THATS THIS WILL PASS!!!! i HOPE SO... because I dry heave if I smell poop or vomit?:barf01:

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Specializes in Care Coordination, MDS, med-surg, Peds.

What bothers me? Well..... squirting green substances..... eyeball ANYTHING....!!!!

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