How many of y'all......

[Joebird21]

How many of y'all got sick and threw up after your first time working in the ER?? I would like to work in the ER one day and I never have gotten sick at the site of blood or anything, However I worry that if I see a very bad trauma for the first time that I may get sick.

[Full Moon ER Nurse]

Well he has a point there. Personally I love to see abscesses get drained I love seeing how much puss comes out,

I also love irrigating ears, and seeing how much crud can come out of an ear, then the pt who was complaining of a hearing loss is so excited he can hear again.

When I was pregnant, I was a sympathetic puker. During CPR, I would just lean over and puke in the biohazard trashcan and keep on going......

[Jen2]

I have been in a Level 1 since July and haven't puked yet, but came pretty close when we had a gentlemen that had been down four days before anyone found him. The poor soul was literally rotting off his bones with gangrenous (SP?) tissue. Thats a smell I'll never forget. Just started to breath through my mouth and not my nose and cared for him like any other patient.

[TinyNurse, RN]

never!!! but i still want to puke each and every time an etoh+ beer drinking pt pukes........ hahahahaha nasty smell

[menolly_33]

I've never gotten sick, probably could eat at an autopsy! Have always been like this, I cleaned up the vomit for my brother and sister and mom when I was little. I can still make my mom throw up with my stories of work.:chuckle

Have seen a few that really grossed me out. Had a couple of patients with bot-fly infestation, doctor lanced the "bump" and squeezed and a worm squirted across the room. We both screamed.:rotfl:

Pulled off patients socks and maggots went everywhere, YUCK!

The closest I came to vomiting was having to take care of a 3 year old rape victim. Was nauseous for days, also angry, sad and heart sick.

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

While I've never been physically ill at work (level one trauma center for going on 10 years), my heart hurts sometimes when I see man's inhumanity to man.

[KatieBell]

I don't vomit, but whenever I have to help with any procedure with fingernails- lifting the nail off, or putting a hole in it...I get very lightheaded. I can do it, I just lean agaist the wall while I assist. (takes a little slick positioning) but people know about my little problem and usually don't let me do it now.

I have vomited at work- due to gastroenteritis (mine, not a patients).

[Suninmyheart]

I am glad this topic is being discussed right now. I am in my first semester of an RN program and I am so nervous about odors. I start my first round of clinicals in two weeks. I imagine it will be embarrassing if I gag in front of a patient or even another healthcare professional. So far I have discovered that I am very reactive to almost any odor - I get a gag reflex that just won' quit. I suppose I can walk around with menthol in my nostrils all day everyday but is there anything I can do to get over the reaction itself ???

Suninmyeyes aka Lisa Marie

[Brotherbob, BSN, RN]

A coworker assisted a doc suturing a small wound. She fainted and her head landed face down right in the wound. Surprised patient.

So far I have not threw up, and not passed out either, but I don´t like when travellers from Africa bring their intestine creatures in plastic bags, that´s nasty.

[LittleCatB]

I am glad this topic is being discussed right now. I am in my first semester of an RN program and I am so nervous about odors. I start my first round of clinicals in two weeks. I imagine it will be embarrassing if I gag in front of a patient or even another healthcare professional. So far I have discovered that I am very reactive to almost any odor - I get a gag reflex that just won' quit. I suppose I can walk around with menthol in my nostrils all day everyday but is there anything I can do to get over the reaction itself ???

Suninmyeyes aka Lisa Marie

I'm in the same situation... I already have violently gagged in front of a patient and since I managed to turn my head and stay out of their line of sight they didn't seem to notice. Breathing through my mouth just makes it worse, I have an image of all those molecules being IN MY MOUTH!

At least it's dry heaves and not actual vomiting. I wish I could just "get over it". I'm getting Vicks before my next clinical, but there are a few other non-smell related things that start me gagging, too.

I wonder if I could get hypnotized or something? :chuckle I know it's all in my head.

[teeituptom, BSN, RN]

Welcome to the wonderfull world of ER Nursing

[grammyr]

Anything respiratory. If a patient needs deep suction, I am OUT the door

[Happy-ER-RN, RN]

I have a VERY over-reactive gag reflex and I have survived just fine in the ER. Usually patients aren't paying very close attention, I have never had someone notice that I am gagging. Last night I actually gagged while a medic was giving me report because his breath was so bad! I haven't actually thrown up yet, but if I do, oh well, I'll just apologize and keep going. Some traumas make me feel weird but not sick--just smells and sputum make me gag.

My first episode with vomit I held the cup with my bare hand while he puked and splattered all over my hand I was fine in the room and then as soon as I got my cup o' puke back to the soiled utility and dumped it I started gagging. Anyway, I am surprised at how rarely I actually encounter nasty things considering my job.