News Flash Everybody Farts!

CelticGoddess, BSN, RN · Feb 3, 2016

Thank you! I have IBS so this is a problem for me.

Last year, when I was fairly new on my unit, I was called into my managers office to discuss a couple of "problems". One was legit (I left a bad of IV ABX clamped so patient didn't get them. I have not done that since). The other was my gas problem. My manager turned bright red when he addressed it. Apparently a day shift nurse complained that I had issues with gas. I said I have IBS (I do) and that was it. But still, complaining to the manager because someone farts? Really?

KatieMI, BSN, MSN, RN · Feb 3, 2016

I have what was politically correct way named "incomplete functional recovery outcome" after L&D going all wrong ways. I try to hide somewhere when it happens, but then people are complaining that I am never at the nursing station and need to be called there every time.

Good probiotics help, but doctors who know how to work with them are very few and very far between. Charcoal pads are good in terms of smell. Amazon sells underwear with them already inserted but it is freakin' expensive, so I ended with bying activated charcoal in a local healthy food store by a pound and making my own sachets.

Julius Seizure · Feb 3, 2016

I have what was politically correct way named "incomplete functional recovery outcome"

Ive never heard of this.

Seems like every day I learn about a new reason that I dont want to have children.

Farawyn · Feb 3, 2016

emtpbill, ASN, RN, EMT-P · Feb 3, 2016

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Now that's funny

BSNbeauty, BSN, RN · Feb 4, 2016

Obviously every one farts . I never fast in front of my coworkers or patients. I go to a private area or bathroom. Yes some people can't hold it but we are all adults. Its not a big deal but be discrete of you can.

Farawyn · Feb 4, 2016

Then get to the car and let 'er rip!

Sue Damonas, BSN · Feb 4, 2016

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LOL!!

Been there,done that, ASN, RN · Feb 4, 2016

Then get to the car and let 'er rip!

Or work from home. My office chair is .. shall we say.. quite warm and supple.

Been there,done that, ASN, RN · Feb 4, 2016

I have read a couple of posts lately where people are complaining about people farting breaking wind, passing gas etc...
What exactly is the big deal? The average person farts 14 to 20 times a day and if you say you don't fart you're either lying or you are an alien species.
Yes it can be gross and smell bad but it's like poop it just happens sometimes.
Hppy

A natural event , surely. Socially/politically correct.. never.

Farting in public is .. and will always be unacceptable. I don't understand this social more. But, when in public.. my cheeks are firmly clenched.

calivianya, BSN, RN · Feb 4, 2016

I don't have a problem with farts, really - I am just the queen of being farted on. If I help you turn a patient, the patient will probably rip the biggest fart ever/have a huge blowout while I'm on the butt side. I mean everybody farts, but can't I change a pad JUST ONCE without being crop dusted or having something hanging halfway out the butt that requires disimpaction? I swear I have manually disimpacted patients more often than at least half of my coworkers put together. I even end up disimpacting patients that aren't my patients in the first place. And oh man, does the diarrhea flow...

Sometimes I even have to borrow scrubs from the OR. I mean really. Just ONCE, I would like to come out of a patient's room not smelling worse than when I went in.

It doesn't help that the longer the fart duration, the more likely I am to have tears running down my face from holding in the giggles, which make my arms weak and makes it difficult to hold the patient up. The last person I helped told me later, "I kept trying to say something, but I wanted to wait until it was over and the fart just kept coming."

So, moral of the story, if you want your patient to fart or have a bowel movement, just ask me to step into the room. If I come in there, it WILL happen.

:bag:

My coworkers' farts are always less impressive than the patient farts, so I have no complaints about them.