I am somewhat squeamish around needles. Do any nurses get over that?

ssaarraahh · Apr 25, 2012

You will get use to it; you just need to be around needles more. The first time I saw a nurse put in an IV (pre-nursing school), I fainted. Yup, I really did. Now, 3 years later, I can put in an IV, no problem. I have not fainted since then.

pookiecupcake · Apr 25, 2012

That's what I keep hoping. That exposure will help me a lot. What about other things in nursing? Like wounds, surgeries, chest tubes etc? Did you ever have a fear of those things? And if so was it easy to get over those fears? Thanks for your feedback :)

ssaarraahh · Apr 25, 2012

I have never had a fear of anything related to nursing, but there are other things that have made me squeamish, and I have learned to adapt to them. The first thing has been with wounds, especially pressure ulcers. During my first med/surg rotation, I had a patient who had the worst stage 4 pressure ulcer plus other stage 2-3 all over his body. He did not want to move and shower, so the smell was a little bothersome. He was in the hospital for about 3/4 of the semester and I got to visit him each time to see how he was doing. Each time seeing the dressings changes and the smell, it all got easier and better.

Like I said before, exposure is really the key thing to get over fears, and during your clinicals, try to do everything you possibly can. Try not to let a fear hold you back.