Have you Gagged or Vomit?

N4SomeFun · Aug 20, 2008

While I worked as a CNA I was pulling a femoral sheath out of a lady who had just had a angioplasty done, and she got extremely sick...gagging and vomiting. Since I was holding pressure on her artery she could not sit up and I was in prime position to get vomited on. I was gagging right along with her. We were both pretty embarassed. Of course I apologized, but she completely understood. On any other occasion, I excuse myself and leave the room if I can.

It happens! :wink2:

Atheos · Aug 20, 2008

C-Diff...

Enough said...

Hotflashn · Aug 20, 2008

I have been vomited on and gagged a bit, other times been vomited on, bled on, snotted on, cried on, peed on, pooped on and been perfectly ok.

Once, when I was a phlebot and in my first trimester of pregnancy, I vomited after doing rounds on the oncology floor. There was this poor man who had oral cancer and much of his jaw removed. The smell of his room was often really hard to take, but during early pg it proved to be too much. Mostly, I felt bad because I didn't want him to think that he made me sick.

amybethf · Aug 21, 2008

I am a new nurse extern and it's not the visual stuff that gets to me but the smells! Like emptying a colostomy bag or changing a dressing on a deep wound - I now breathe thru my mouth and remind myself to keep it together. I don't want the patient to see my reaction cuz I don't want to embarrass them. But I hear you get used to it after a while. Let's hope so! I think a trach suction with thick secretions might get to me too. I've asked seasoned nurses what bothers them most and the common response is mouth care. So just remember it's all about patient care and just get the task done fast but efficiently and move on. You'll encounter many nasty things in the hospital but you'll find your own method and eventually it won't be an issue. We have interesting conversations at lunch that would make most people cringe but it's all relative to nursing.

Good Luck! :nurse:

86toronado, BSN, RN · Aug 21, 2008

I once had to care for a patient whose colostomy filled up every 45min-1 hour with the worst smelling, foamy gastric secretions. Just thinking about the smell now makes me gag. So, that, and deep suctioning, just the sound gets me... for the smells, you can always wear a surgical mask, but I think you just have to tough it out for the sights and sounds. :rolleyes:

RNMom2010 · Aug 21, 2008

Yeah I about lost it watching a trach suction last rotation! Glad I wasnt the one trying to do it!! I had to look around the room and refocus my thoughts on something else or I would have lost it all right there and then!!

FERN-tastic · Aug 21, 2008

I've gagged plenty of times. I used to gag everytime someone vomited, or did a trach suctioning. Now I can deal with both....it just takes time.

I've never thrown up, but I came really, really close once when handling a homeless man's clothing.