How do you get over feeling like you'll pass out

Editorial Team / Admin · Jul 27, 2015

Duplicate threads merged.

Jujubee21 · Jul 27, 2015

When I was a nursing student, I almost passed out during my OB rotation when I saw crowning, which is the point during birth when the baby's head becomes visible. I did not have my child yet nor had I ever seen a birth before. My vision become blurry, and I got dizzy and pale. My preceptor noticed and asked if I was ok. I didn't want to ruin the happiest moment for the parents so I excused myself, went to the bathroom, splashed water on my face and gave myself a pep talk while looking in the mirror. I told myself I wanted to be an RN. this was just another obstacle to get to my goal and I got through it, with an A in OB and clinicals. I did not like it, but I had to persevere. I am not an L&D nurse nor will I ever be. You will just figure out what you can or cannot take.

There are so many avenues to nursing and if you love it, do not let anyone discourage you. I love the nursing profession and have deep respect for all that we do. We need more of you out there. I wish you luck in nursing school. Just work hard and never give up. This is just an obstacle in your way to your goal. Always remind yourself of that goal and keep that love for nursing. You can do it! I believe in you!

RNtobe17 · Jul 27, 2015

When I was a nursing student, I almost passed out during my OB rotation when I saw crowning, which is the point during birth when the baby's head becomes visible. I did not have my child yet nor had I ever seen a birth before. My vision become blurry, and I got dizzy and pale. My preceptor noticed and asked if I was ok. I didn't want to ruin the happiest moment for the parents so I excused myself, went to the bathroom, splashed water on my face and gave myself a pep talk while looking in the mirror. I told myself I wanted to be an RN. this was just another obstacle to get to my goal and I got through it, with an A in OB and clinicals. I did not like it, but I had to persevere. I am not an L&D nurse nor will I ever be. You will just figure out what you can or cannot take.
There are so many avenues to nursing and if you love it, do not let anyone discourage you. I love the nursing profession and have deep respect for all that we do. We need more of you out there. I wish you luck in nursing school. Just work hard and never give up. This is just an obstacle in your way to your goal. Always remind yourself of that goal and keep that love for nursing. You can do it! I believe in you!

Thank you so much. This made me tear up. I'm going to print it out and post it on my bathroom mirror so I can look at it when times get rough :)

FurBabyMom, MSN, RN · Jul 27, 2015

The reality of it is - you probably won't see ALL of those things when you find a place to work. When I worked neuro stepdown we had an occasional GI bleed, sometimes had some complex wound care, we had a ton of trachs (we were one of two non-ICU units to take inpatients with trachs), we had drains coming from all kinds of places - extremities, backs, heads, etc. We had foleys, ostomys, all kinds of things. That being said - you may see things you have to learn to be comfortable with.

There are potentials to see nose bleeds, open wounds (extremities and otherwise), so on and so forth. I saw some open wounds and badly broken bones as an assistant when I'd get floated to the ED. When I worked neuro stepdown, neuro med-surg and telemetry? Not so much. I see some of those type of wounds now in the OR. Broken bones (even protruding through the skin) are kind of the "normal" and "less jarring" for me now. I've seen head injuries that give me chills to think about. I've seen self inflicted injuries, I've seen horrible traumas with no explanation. I've seen just about every part of the body in my line of work.

There are very few things that "bother" me - but there's a couple of patients that the image has stuck with me. Months later, I can see the patient and their injuries from a level 1 trauma that came to the OR essentially straight from the helipad. I remember the patient, the

My first suggestion is to eat breakfast and lunch - do not go to clinical without eating and do not attempt to make it through without taking a meal break if you're there long enough. My second is to make sure you are well hydrated. The third is that if you feel like you're getting light headed, dizzy or will pass out - find a chair to sit in or the wall to slide down. The only thing worse than that is getting seriously injured if you do pass out. I've seen plenty of medical students go down...we help them find a seat, get over it. I send them for a snack and drink of water and they come back. For most of the people I've witnessed this happen to it's a once and done thing.

The thing that really gets to me is seeing my own blood. If I get cut I can handle it - but like for blood draws, I just, can't. Which is fine, I don't have to start IVs on myself or do my own blood draws. If I just don't watch, I'm okay.

Most people figure out the thing they just can't stand and sometimes you can avoid it. When I worked stepdown, I had a coworker who couldn't handle trach care. She could suction when needed, but couldn't do all of the trach care and particularly not the changes. She'd still have patients with trachs, and she'd trade a coworker a task basically if you do my patient's trach care and change I'll do something else for you (it's probably not fair, though, to ask someone to take your trach care and change but only offer to do a PO med pass on a walkie talkie patient). I know she could make herself do it if she had to, but we were a team, and not all of us have the same strengths and preferences. So, I had no problem swapping out tasks to make it all get done.

NursesRmofun, ASN, RN · Jul 27, 2015

I have seen many nasty things and never felt like I was going to pass out. Part of my brain tells me it is surreal....and I don't have it register on that level, if that makes any sense!

I know it's real, but my mind does not register the same way as a lay person or people more sensitive to it.

Rebeccas23 · Jul 27, 2015

I think it's very important to remember that there are TONS of opportunities in nursing, and if nosebleeds or childbirth or surgery aren't your thing, then you can always choose to pursue another direction. Most people want to become nurses because of the human aspect- the opportunities to care, show compassion, provide support to vulnerable populations, etc.- not for the blood and guts (though there are some of those nurses too!) If you never see a dressing change without fainting, you can still find a type of nursing that allows you to show these traits and work towards improving healthcare and individual lives along the way. Check out informatics, case management, nurse educators, and many, many other directions that minimize the gore :)

MassED, BSN, RN · Jul 27, 2015

Just like anything, you get used to it. Some things make me gag, even after all this time, but most things I can tolerate and brush off eventually. Coping, compartmentalizing, and using humor go a long way. Not that I have all the answers, but I just find that exposure to certain things can either present a challenge or an obstacle that is insurmountable. You choose how to proceed. Somebody, in that moment, needs you and you can either a) make it about you or b) proceed ahead. We are human, therefore we have moments that are difficult, but hopefully you are paired up with good team mates that can be the glue for you in those areas that you need it.

Traumatizing things may not be physical injuries, they may be emotionally traumatizing events such as a child dying and witnessing this and having to console the family when you feel traumatized. It does take some serious accountability of your own emotions and really checking that at the door when a moment requires you to step up and provide great nursing care. That is really the bottom line. For me.

Littleguccipiggy · Jul 27, 2015

Anything bone related gives me the heebie jeebies. Seriously. Anything someone tells a story about how someone fell off a tree and broke a leg with bone sticking out, etc, etc. Blech! There's tons of different types of nursing, you just have to find what area works best for you. I know I'm not meant for the ER, ICU, mental health. At the same time, some people hate it when they have to float to my unit. We have our share of post op patients, wound care, c. diff, and gross necrotic tumors. Really gross tumors. Ones that should be inside of the body but have grown so much they're now on the outside. Not very often, but there is that possibility. But no bones! No hips, knees, traction, rods, or pins! I keep a jar of vapor rub in my locker for smelly situations.

Libby1987 · Jul 27, 2015

I can go elbow deep into a wound but can't watch surgical videos.

What makes a difference for me is hands on participation and purpose. I'm not a great observer still after all these years but I can get in there myself and do it, that's where having a purpose changed my perspective.

You may not tolerate seeing a limb hang by threads but I bet if you were the only one there you could hold stuff together to save a life. This won't be as dramatic but next time you see something like a nosebleed, grab tissues and towel, fill an ice pack, just jump in and help out and see if that helps your tolerance.

bathrobemom, LPN · Jul 28, 2015

It's funny because I've totally forgotten that I used to kind of have a problem with blood. I still remember one time my daughter cut her knee and it was gushing. I felt icky (sorry, can't think of a better word) inside and struggled to not show it, didn't want to freak her out. What really got me one time was watching a client clip her toenail. She wrenched part of it off and it started bleeding which really got to me. I also had a job in a plasma donation clinic where I got to do the blood typing and sticks for protein and hematocrit. My boss had to get on me because I'd been there for a couple of months and never started the training to do that part of my job. I'd kept putting it off because I was scared to poke people.

I think when blood bothers me is when I'm worried someone is feeling pain. Not sure if that would apply to you. So I focus on what's happening and not any screaming, crying, or anything in my imagination.

I got to remove a drain in nursing school and I warned the instructor that I'm kind of uncomfortable with blood. It was no problem. I was so focused on doing everything correctly that it didn't bother me. It was kind of funny in a weird way to measure the drainage. There was a big clot that came out with the drain, but I threw everything away in the garbage quickly. I was totally fine.

After going through those experiences I had zero trouble. I spent two days in the OR for med-surg and loved it, my only problem was the cold air. Saw a C-section in my OB clinical and it was no big deal either.

Surgery is actually pretty cool!

I see dots of blood every day at my job, I do all the blood sugars and injections, never been a problem. Wounds are no problem either. So, I think after seeing a few things, you will get used to it and it won't be a problem. Hopefully someday you'll be like me and forget you even had a problem! :)

J Colt · Jul 28, 2015

I managed to catch a fellow student nurse who passed out during a circumcision we were watching, our second semester of school. She went on to be one of the top students and a great nurse!

As for me, growing up, I was the softest-hearted person and had trouble frog-dissecting in school, all the things like that. It became a matter of determination. I wanted to be the kind of person who could help someone, despite blood or other trauma. As I went through school, I sought out every "gory" situation I could find. I practiced walling away my empathy with practicality. It doesn't mean you can't sympathize with your patients--it just means that there is a job to be done and they need you to do it.

Now I work in Labor & Delivery, arguably one of the bloodiest fields! It's just another bodily fluid to me now, and only remarkable if I see a lot of it. (Now sputum, that still makes me gag--so I didn't go into a specialty with trach care!)

One quick tip: Keep a couple alcohol pads in your pocket and take a breath with one under your nose if you're getting queasy from smells and sights. It helps to distract your senses and keep you going! Remember when things get bad, focus on just the problem at hand and what needs to be done to fix it.

Good luck--give yourself time and compassion.

missmollie, ADN, BSN, RN · Jul 28, 2015

I hate needles. I can't watch an IV go in my arm, and I would sweat like a menopausal woman in 100 degree heat when I had to insert an IV. I would cringe for the patient when I pierced the skin, apologies running from my hoorifice, dry mouth.

That was a year and a half ago when I was able to start IVs as a nursing student. Eventually, those feelings subside and you realize it doesn't bother you anymore. Regardless of what environment you're in, you'll get used to what you see on a daily basis. Don't turn down an opportunity to do a skill because it makes you uncomfortable, take the opportunity because it will eventually seem like the norm.

Best of luck in school!