Getting over the poop smell

Nursing Students Student Assist

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Specializes in Level 3 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Hi everybody, I'm Jenna and I'm a senior nursing student. I'll be graduating in may. Currently, I'm a clinical assistant on a post partum unit which I absolutely love. In school, I'm on a post-surgical cardiothoracic stepdown telemetry unit. We have a wide variety of patients there. Even though cardiothoracic surgery isn't my area of interest, I'll be doing clinicals on this unit for the next few months.

Many a time, we have incontinent patients or patients who are using a bedside commode. Even though I work with babies at my job, I cannot deal with adult poop! I don't know what it is, but I gag, dry heave, and my eyes water. :mad: I don't, of course, do this in front of the patient, but as soon as I go to empty the commode I can't help but heave. I need to over come this, it's like my kryptonite, but I don't know what to do! Please help. :nurse:

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Have you tried to rub vicks under your nose? when I do rounds at the nursing home, it works for me :) I gag at the smell of the ENTIRE nursing home! Lol!

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Specializes in Emergency.

When you find out how, let me know! I've just learned to hold my breath for long periods of time! All I know is that breathing through your mouth doesn't always work as sometimes you can taste it on your tongue. Yuck!

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I have a container of vicks vapor rub in my locker. If I have incontinent patients or patients with something that makes their stool smell FOUL, I put that jar in my pocket and use it liberally.

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I'm not sure about the adult smell, but I know with the baby poop smell it took me some time to get used to. I'm still in Nursing school, but I've babysat plenty of babies and I mostly had to hold my breath in the beginning when changing diapers. Eventually I just didn't notice the smell anymore, but once I graduate and begin working, I'll definitely try that Vicks trick!

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Specializes in being a Credible Source.

I was in your situation. Not just the smell but even the sight of poop would make me gag. Over time, I've gotten used to it. I do usually breathe through my mouth with my nose sealed off from the inside (and I've never tasted it, just as I can't taste much of anything when my nares are sealed shut). Even when I don't, though, I've become desensitized to the smell.

It'll get better over time, I'm guessing.

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I squirt a big glob of sanitizer on my finger and make a "moustache". It masks smells temporarily.

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that post about making a germ-x moustache made me laugh out loud!! Haha!!! but back to the Vicks--I have had 4 different RNs tell me that does the trick. Maybe you should try that. I am blessed with a VERY faint sense of smell. Seriously---a skunk could come and spray the room I am in right now and I wouldn't smell a bloomin' thing! Haha!

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I have the same problem as you OP, same reaction. It's never the sight, but once I get a whiff of it, I start dry heaving and gagging. My eyes water also.

When I did my CNA clinical, I knew I was going to face the poo as all of our residents were incontinent. I read advice on here about Vick's. It really works!

I seriously put a glob of Vick's in each nostril, and I put peppermint Altoid's (like 3-4 of them) in my mouth. I can then take small breaths through my mouth and I don't smell anything but Vick's and peppermint. It is really a life saver for me.

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I carry a teeny vial of clove essential oil and use a drop on the mask.

I never want to get used to the smell of foul stuff - nasty! C. diff, stale feces that's been in there for way too long, vomitus, necrotic tissue...

last week one of my pts had dementia, DM, C. dif, MRSA, AND a gangrenous ulcer on his heel. he was on contact iso and was waiting for his INR to drop so he could have a BKA.

I had him for 3 days. just walking by his room made me gag. and I swear, I could detect the smell of rotten flesh for days.

but that said, **** happens, and as nurses, it comes w/the territory.

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One of our instructors said that smelling of an alcohol prep will help, guess it's the same thing as the germ-x, but not as irritating to the skin!

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Wait until c-diff hits it nose ... u'll never forget it

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