Hi... I am a 1st semester student and I had my first clinical yesterday. I do fine with blood, mucous, pee, and such but I can't control my gag reflex when around poop. I even did a foley cath that morning on a little elderly lady who did not smell the best but when I went to help another student hold a lady on her side so that she could be cleaned up I could no longer control the gag after about 5 minutes. I feel so embarrassed and I never want to make a patient feel bad about needing to be cleaned up. What can I do to stop this and will I ever just get used to fecal odor. Becoming a nurse is very important to me I just hoope that I can move past this. It also does not help that I quit smoking 2 months ago so I can really smell now. Please help...
NO lol. You can't taste it! Actually, your nose plays a big part in taste too. Try eating something while plugging your nose..... it won't taste as good!
I CAN taste bad odors when mouth-breathing. I'll stick to nose breathing!
Specializes in ER, Surgery, Community, Geriatrics.
:rotfl: that is classic!!!! Puke is my thing for sure - and for Val - if you can breath through your mouth and cut off the nasal thing altoghter it is helpful - an dremember you are not the only one!!! Mnay of us have something that "gets" us.
Good luck!!
As the above post recommends, vicks is very good. I usually have to suck on a strong mint when I'm encountering something funky.
As a funny aside, once when I was a CNA, I paid another CNA $20 to clean up puke for me. :chuckle Best of luck to you. I'm sure you'll be fine. Pam
Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.
Oh I saw this and remembered a situation from so long ago! LOL!
I was in a room with a man who had a decube stage...well technically past any measure except OMG!!!!! It was along his entire spine!!!!!!! OH man it was the NASTIEST!
Well I was the only brave student and I had to hold this man as the Nurse did the sterile dressing change (in other words...clean as you can and long as the day!!!!). It smelled like poop that had been in a dead thing and pooped back out and put in a vat of pure sulfur!!!!!! Worse thing I EVER smelled in my life and I wanted to puke so bad!
So after about 2 minutes (okay felt like 2 hours!!!!!), I imagined myself cleaning a baby and that the smell was just poop (I didn't have a probelm with poop smell at this point..how could you!?!?!?!), and I did okay.
BUT..two other nursing students came in by my clinical instructors request (okay we called her "satans mother" for a reason..LOL!) and both fainted on the spot!!!!!!! I didn't feel so bad after that! But...ewwwwww to this day I can smell it (you should see the look on my face as I type this...can it scrunch up in discust any more than this??? LOL).
It is something you get use to...it kind of helps to remember that you are helping where no one would (well some would..but don't rationalize..think YOU! LOL!), and your presence is needed so very badly to help! That really helped me, still does!!!!!!
Good luck...hopefully you will NEVER see or smell what I did!!!!! (oh yeah he died the next day..he WOULDN't stay off his back...nothing we did could help...he finally got an infection and that was all she wrote...and I don't think even surgery could help what he had going...so sad...but I sure learned how to do complex dressing changes early on in clinicals!).
This was my story two years ago-my first clinicals as a CNA -not only did i feel like puking -i almost fainted seeing stage 3 decubitus in an elderly lady-i got used to it then in my LPN med-surg clinicals i couldnt even do a fingerstick-giving any kind of injection is my best job right now -
In short this is your first clinical by the time you get to the 4th and 5th clinicals patients will be "pooping" and you standing next to them doing their business and you'll be like what time do we break for lunch.
Meanwhile try the mints they really do help-Good luck !
Hi... I am a 1st semester student and I had my first clinical yesterday. I do fine with blood, mucous, pee, and such but I can't control my gag reflex when around poop. I even did a foley cath that morning on a little elderly lady who did not smell the best but when I went to help another student hold a lady on her side so that she could be cleaned up I could no longer control the gag after about 5 minutes. I feel so embarrassed and I never want to make a patient feel bad about needing to be cleaned up. What can I do to stop this and will I ever just get used to fecal odor. Becoming a nurse is very important to me I just hoope that I can move past this. It also does not help that I quit smoking 2 months ago so I can really smell now. Please help...
something that works for me and will always be handy in clinicals is to take an alcohol swab and rub it under your nose. works every time for me what ever the stench may be.
Hi... I am a 1st semester student and I had my first clinical yesterday. I do fine with blood, mucous, pee, and such but I can't control my gag reflex when around poop. I even did a foley cath that morning on a little elderly lady who did not smell the best but when I went to help another student hold a lady on her side so that she could be cleaned up I could no longer control the gag after about 5 minutes. I feel so embarrassed and I never want to make a patient feel bad about needing to be cleaned up. What can I do to stop this and will I ever just get used to fecal odor. Becoming a nurse is very important to me I just hoope that I can move past this. It also does not help that I quit smoking 2 months ago so I can really smell now. Please help...
I work with Mentally Challenged Adults. I have to clean up poop, pee and puke everyday. I also hate cold season because I have to pick some of their noses. When I go into a bathroom, I authomatically start breathing through my mouth. Once you get the smell in your nose, it is still possible to smell it with your mouth open. Sometimes, I just start breathing through my mouth when I walk into the building just to be sure a smell doesn't sneek up on me. I have never gagged yet!
I work with Mentally Challenged Adults. I have to clean up poop, pee and puke everyday. I also hate cold season because I have to pick some of their noses. When I go into a bathroom, I authomatically start breathing through my mouth. Once you get the smell in your nose, it is still possible to smell it with your mouth open. Sometimes, I just start breathing through my nose when I walk into the building just to be sure a smell doesn't sneek up on me. I have never gagged yet!
:imbar OMG You will have stars in your crown in heaven..I am a grandmother and have yet to master that art. You could have a bunch of 2 year olds teach the patients. Spread a little vanilla under your nose, or any other flavor, it really helps. Good luck. You are truly one of a kind:p
At work the other day, I had a few patients that all needed stool samples for tests. So after they pooped in their little "hats", I got to go in with a tongue depresser and denture cup and scoop away!
i just graduated with a BSN in December and was nervous the entire time I was in nursing school that I would get sick. First things first, it does get better! I am still amazed at how much I saw by my last semester and how I handled it. Second, mind over matter. Tell yourself you will not get sick and don't allow yourself. My teacher taught me this and it worked for me. Lastly, peppermint flavored gum or candies. In the hospital I was at in clinicals, there was peppermint put in certain rooms because they were "odorous" and it really helped mask the smell! So anything peppermint in your mouth will help. Good Luck! You can do it!
just reading this is making my tummy feel woozy. (how's that for medical terms?hehe) i definitely must try the vicks. sometimes when i get home from clinical there are smells that just "stay with me" :uhoh21: even after a shower. i don't know if i keep imagining them or what but that should help either way.
When I go into a bathroom, I authomatically start breathing through my mouth. Once you get the smell in your nose, it is still possible to smell it with your mouth open. Sometimes, I just start breathing through my mouth when I walk into the building just to be sure a smell doesn't sneek up on me. I have never gagged yet! 
Hellllllo Nurse, BSN, RN
2 Articles; 3,563 Posts
I CAN taste bad odors when mouth-breathing. I'll stick to nose breathing!