Getting over being "grossed out"

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Specializes in PEDS.

I grew up watching "ER", reading medical textbooks (pictures of skeleton, blood, muscles), cleaning up bloody noses, numerous injuries in the pre-school I worked in as a teacher, and have administered Epi-Pens and insulin shots. HOWEVER, as I'm starting my Pre-RN classes I can't get past looking at pictures of injuries and gross skin conditions!

I can handle any of these in real life, but for some reason looking at a glossy and graphic image in a textbook I get light-headed and can't look at it or pay attention! I've taken Basic Life Support each year as per requirement to be a pre-K teacher in my school (I'm just transitioning into the nursing field, graduated college last year and don't get paid enough as a teacher, YAY!) and looking at the pictures usually didn't bother me much. This time around in the class I had to keep leaving to stop myself from getting dizzy and grossed out. Why is this happening!? I noticed sometimes it's worse when I haven't slept much or eaten beforehand. I want to be a nurse and am passionate about taking care of people and know it's what I want to do with my life. Maybe it's nerves? Whatever it is I'd like to get over it and I'm determined to do so. I've never been one to be grossed out by blood and gore, so I don't know why this is happening NOW as I'm entering the medical field haha.

Has anyone else experienced this before and have any suggestions? I can't walk out of class because I'm getting dizzy over hearing about a ruptured pustule! I don't give up, and this is silly! Any suggestions are helpful :)

Thank you!

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

Ruptured pustules ARE gross. :barf01:

Everybody, even longtime nurses like me, has their "nursing Kryptonite"---something that bothers them more than anything else. With me, it's mouths and feet---give me a Stage IV pressure ulcer full of pseudomonas, a trach to suction, or a bucketful of emesis any day of the week, but please don't make me scrub somebody's grotty dentures or cut their toenails. YEEEEECCCCCCCCHHHHHHHH.

As an aside though, do make sure you have a good night's sleep and a breakfast that's high in protein and complex carbs before you start classes and/or attend your clinicals. That's a good healthy habit no matter what you do. :)

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Specializes in ortho, hospice volunteer, psych,.

i agree with viva 100%! every nurse has something gross. mine are the noise the machine makes while

you suction and scrubbing dentures. i don't care what comes up and out while i suction. i'm just fine

with that. but that noise? ecchh!!

i can only clean dentures if i hold them in a folded paper towel and i absolutely cannot look at the

junk that is in the sink afterward.

you will get used to looking at pictures and seeing and smelling some pretty strange and weird things.

a blob of vicks under your mask or a peppermint tea bag or few drops of oil of peppermint or wintergreen

on a cotton ball tucked into your bra will help with smells

it will get easier. i promise it will.

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Specializes in PEDS.

Thank you so much to both of you! I suppose I'll have to get used to it! Honestly, working in pre-school cleaning the dirtiest of diapers (blow outs, leaks, ANYTHING!) was cake (am i normal haha) but give me an image of something in a book and I can't do it. Well, I CAN, I just don't want to haha.

I haven't done clinicals yet, but I'm sure I'll experience an array of new aromas. I'm really excited, and I hate that I'm having this problem.

I don't even know what those machines sound like, and I work in a Council on Aging, but we don't do much bedside care. Soon I will though!

I can't wait for it to pass. Thank you so much for your help!

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I'm actually quite nervous about this myself. I have a pretty iron-clad stomach...I think. But I haven't been exposed to much as far as gore goes. The worst thing I've done is sift through my sons poop after he swallowed something and I had to retrieve it (gotta love kids). That didn't phase me. But I will be moritified if I end up one of those students that upchucks during clinicals!

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Specializes in PEDS.

I can totally sympathize with the kids experience. I'm not a mom, but I've worked in pre-schools for awhile and gotten very personal with pretty much any fluid in and out of these kids haha.I think that when it comes down to you dealing with it first hand you're fine because it's what you have to do to take care of someone. I think that's why I can deal with it in real life, but when it's on paper I don't have that "fight or flight" reaction and I just get grossed out.

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Specializes in cardiac-telemetry, hospice, ICU.

As a student, I went in having my doubts about things such as this. I surprised myself when faced with what I thought were repulsive situations, I just ponied up and simply did the work. After, the experiences boosted my confidence. Don't defeat yourself before you even try!

Good luck

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