I don't want to gag

muffie, RN · Dec 29, 2006

breathe through your mouth, wear a mask

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Dec 29, 2006

Chew minty gum or suck on a peppermint while you give a bath. It distracts the nose a bit. Plus, you can exhale through your mouth, which might dissipate the smell.

When we're getting ready to do a nasty butt case, i always pop a couple of Altoids or cough drops prior to scrubbing.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Dec 29, 2006

Wear a mask. To avoid offending the patient, tell them you're wearing a mask because you have a cold and don't want to spread it around.

Sometimes the poopy stench penetrates the mask, so place a fragrant tea bag inside the mask to block out all unpleasant odors.

S.T.A.C.E.Y, LPN · Dec 29, 2006

I remember hearing on TV somewhere (CSI maybe?) that a good smile stops the gag reflex.....maybe true, maybe not.....worth a try though!

nursetmj · Dec 29, 2006

Rub some Vicks Vaporub (or anything else that might be available) under your nose, on your upper lip before going into the room. And the masks help too!

AnnieOaklyRN, BSN, RN, EMT-P · Dec 29, 2006

Vics vapor rub, only takes a little and it works!

swtooth

ItsyBitsySpider, BSN, RN · Dec 29, 2006

Rubbing a little Vicks under your nose works great. It really does block out the smell. After a while you'll probably just get used to it.

Jules A, MSN · Dec 29, 2006

Halls cough drops, not the new fruity type but the old horrible tasting ones do the trick.

anne74 · Dec 29, 2006

I try to breathe through my mouth - although you still get a whiff. I'm a big gagger myself. I think a lot of it is psychological - you can psych yourself out by thinking about it too much. Try to think of something else.

Smells used to be a big problem for me too, and it was honestly the hardest thing I had to overcome. Now that I'm an RN, I still gag, but I don't fixate and worry about it anymore. The poopy situation comes up, I try to deal with it, I might gag, and then I move on to my next task. When you start working, you'll be so busy you won't have time to ruminate about it.

samaletta · Dec 29, 2006

I CANNOT stand to breathe through my mouth when the smell is bad!! I feel like I am eating the poopy air. I agree with the others when they say to pop a super minty mint in your mouth. I am not too sure about the mask thing because you can't wear the mask all day while caring for the patient, and they would know if you only wore it during that time that you had to change them....although it is an excellent idea.

I remember over the summer I cared for a patient who had a small bowel obstruction. It wasn't till I got to the bathroom to empty the bedpan that I started to dry heave. LOL. I'm glad the patient didnt see me, I would have felt so bad.

I have been a tech at a hospital for 2 years and I have one semester left of nursing school. I'm not too sure if you ever get used to the smell of poop. I almost think it gets worse....

I usually take deep breathes, hold them, and exhale through my mouth. Each time I take a deep breath, I pretend that I am and itching my chin with my shoulder so that I can Inhale the air over my shoulder rather than the poopy air in front of me (well kinda... I know the poopy air is everywhere but it's comforting to me)

lmao

RNOTODAY, BSN, RN · Dec 30, 2006

Chew minty gum or suck on a peppermint while you give a bath. It distracts the nose a bit. Plus, you can exhale through your mouth, which might dissipate the smell.
When we're getting ready to do a nasty butt case, i always pop a couple of Altoids or cough drops prior to scrubbing.

:lol2: That reminds me of last week, Marie... we had an I&d of an abd wound, infected, and lord...it smelled worse than the worst c diff stool I have ever smelled.........I got a couple bottles of spirit of peppermint, poured some in the corners... put some on everybody's mask.......

I did not know a wound could smell so badly....poor guy