What Freaks You Out?

jegmac · Apr 9, 2002

I have several....

Burns are definitely a vomit-inducer, esp. when the skin on the pt's back slides off when you are turning him (the screams and the smells don't help). Ditto for Stephens-Johnsons syndrome.

Or how about fishing for a tampon b/c the MD thinks the pt has TSS (turned out to be Lupus - thanks a lot doc!).

Too gross? Well, the colostomy smell is most unbearable. The tenacious sputum is nothing - I actually miss suctioning after being out of ICU for 2 years! But the funky vag smell and the nasty mouth smell that follow you out the door and stay in your nose until you get home have to be the worst - I do not miss that!

Rear ends eaten up entirely with rotten bed craters are pretty rough too.

Finding things in the folds of rather obese pts can be awe-inspiring - esp. when the pt says "Hey, I've been looking for that watch" - no kidding.

Catching a leg after an amputation is a singular experience.......

We could go on forever.....

BigC · Apr 9, 2002

Sputum.......sputum.......sputum......I thought I was the only one with this serious problem.....had my rounds with respiratory last week.....and yes like good ole Tim up there I begged and begged my instructor not to send me.......well....ha ha....I went....and thank god it wasn't to bad....But I'm sure not looking forward to ng canisters.......btw...first week of clinicals.....had to do a digital bowl removal on an elderly pt.....and yes.....I did gag.......... Tim your my idol I hope to reach your stature one day.........Someday GNP........December....LPN..... 2002 RN.....2003

RNforLongTime · Apr 9, 2002

Now, not much really grosses me out. I can deal with sputum, bowel movements, nasal drainage, etc. The only thing that ever really grossed me out was when I was watching a nurse from the eye bank remove the corneas from a patient who had just passed away. Seeing the vitreous humour--is that right the liquid that's in the eyeball--come pouring out from the sockets almost made me throw up!

Carer · Apr 17, 2002

Blood. I can deal with Urine and Poo, and Sick. But not Blood.

It really freaks me out.

bestblondRN · Apr 17, 2002

Hey Big C!

You're in Portage?! Me too.......small world, I guess.

Don't worry--you're not alone with sputum, and various other bodily secretions. It gets a little easier with time--just hang in there--even us veterans gag once in awhile

darlinnurse · Apr 17, 2002

Hello, I am new here. The thing that totally grosses me out is a new amputee. Changing the dressing is so gross. And vomitt makes me want to hurl right along with the patient.

Carer · Apr 17, 2002

Blood. I can deal with Urine and Poo, and Sick. But not Blood.

It really freaks me out.

mother/babyRN, RN · Apr 18, 2002

Well, I have to say, other than the little old lady with Ca whose nose fell off in front of me, beyond the dentures and mucus thing, it does me not good when a filthy patient arrives in labor, opens her legs and completely overwhelms the staff with the stench of whatever is eminating from that part of her body ( the one the CHILD is supposed to exit from)..I have to say I DO NOT like maggots, lice, or any of those things, and have run into a few nasty things in my time, but thankfully (so far), I seem to have experienced mostly benign yuckky stuff, though AM of the era when we had to pipette to delee(suction the baby) vs the suction set ups we have now.. And I still have not emotionally conformed to the leech deal.........

ceecel.dee, MSN, RN · Apr 18, 2002

A ruptured peritonsilar abscess while confined on the back of an ambulance during transfer - we had to pull over as I was puking, EMT was puking, and driver became lightheaded.

Coumadin nose bleeds with ropes of clot from deep being pulled-- Oh my!

Clothing removal from the great unwashed with skin from 2 months ago all powdered and waiting to be inhaled! GGAAAAGGG!

Any amputation in the OR.

The great unwashed and obese (sweaty) highlighted with perfume for very thick, unbreathable air -- ARGH!

I can't even think about that dog story -- RETCH!

shannonRN, BSN, RN · Apr 19, 2002

maggots i have heard of, but cockroaches....yuck! i can't image finding worms in a bedpan. omg, that is just gross. i can't handle sputum, vomit, and ng cannisters with chunks. eww!

petiteflower · Apr 19, 2002

Never had to deal with maggots or anything like that. Necrosed tissue is the worst, but here is my gross story. When I was still an LPN working nights of a skilled care unit, we had a patient admitted who was MRSA positive (respiratory). I went in the room to assess him, in all the required gloves, mask and gown--thank GOD, I was standing by the bed, and kind of slipped on something, I looked down and there was this big tan thing on the floor, about the size of a paper towel. Well, the lights were dim, and our towels were tan, thinking that is was a towel someone had dropped and bent over to pick it uo. Right--it wasn't is was a big old pile of MRSA sputum that this guy forewent the kleenex and leaned over the side of the bed and spit on the floor. ICK!!! I still get the oogies thinking about how slimy it felt even through the gloves. I was so grossed out I threw out my shoes and wore surgery shoe covers the rest of the noc because I couldn't stand the idea of wearing them again.

daisymae · Apr 21, 2002

Wonderful comments !! Tim_GNP and Rex/ very funny. Wish I coulda been there. All of your comments are right on.

My L & D experience wasn't as bad. Picture a rookie standing there watching. Mom and Dad so excited, Dr. and nurses engrossed in duties. And me, my eyes about to pop out of my head over the mask on my face. The baby came out and it was purple. OH MY GOD ! IT'S DEAD AND THIS STAFF ISN'T SAYING ANYTHING. OH MY GOD ! OH MY GOD ! Oh thank God ! It's breathing. That my friends was the last delivery I saw until I had my own. And my first one- I kept my eyes shut until he was pink.

How about chewing tobacco? Ever see that come out of someone's mouth? Oh geez.....so gross. MY lunch was in my throat when I dropped the cup on the quadraplegic man and left the room without a word.