Medical words that make you cringe.

[~Mi Vida Loca~RN]

I was just attempting to study and came across a word that makes me cringe. I know it's probably weird. Some words just evoke something in me, not all medical, I can't stand the words curd or moist.

Anyway, I was curious what some of yours were, or if it is only me that cringes at certain ones.

Since starting nursing school, Fistula is one I can't stand. Makes me want to gag just seeing it!

[~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN]

Seriously, if mere words make you cringe, what will you do when your patient with a bowel obstruction vomits up fecal material all over the floor, and the odor permeates the entire unit? What will you do about the odor of digested blood? The sight of thick purulent sputum? The sight of infected pressure ulcers you can fit your fist into? There are even worse things you will encounter.....

I will take care of them. The word itself makes me cringe. We all have our things. I took care of a patient with a severe GI Bleed, was having to change her and help her q1hr for all the bleeding she was doing. It smelled terrible and I have a sensitive sense of smell. Very sensitive. But I dabbed that peppermint oil under my nose, I put on my smile and got into "nurse" mode and helped her how she needed to be helped and never once let on how badly the odor was. That is what truly matters in the scheme of things. Not my release here on the nursing board or words that make me cringe :)

[newstudent2010]

I get grossed out when things are described as "cheesy" in my textbook. Yuck..

[AOx1]

Seriously, if mere words make you cringe, what will you do when your patient with a bowel obstruction vomits up fecal material all over the floor, and the odor permeates the entire unit? What will you do about the odor of digested blood? The sight of thick purulent sputum? The sight of infected pressure ulcers you can fit your fist into? There are even worse things you will encounter.....

I'm not sure why you assume that the provision of excellent care and finding some words gross are mutually exclusive. I've worked trauma ER and ICU for years. I take great care of all varieties of patients, but yes, some words gross me out.

[chacomom]

You are going to see plenty of bedsores in nursing. Get used to it .

[Cuezee2]

Placenta. I think it's an amazing organ, I just don't like the word...

[Popwhizbangz, LPN]

"Managed care" - euphemism for a government-approved, massive conflict of interest.

Imagine you pay your auto insurance for years, car gets totaled, no fault of your own, insurance company agrees, BUT they deny coverage - "In our determination you don't NEED a car, you could take the bus. And one other thing - your coverage doesn't provide for bus costs. Its not a transportation decision - just business" - That's managed care as it stands, all too often. Sad.

Cutting costs is fine - self-serving corruption is NOT. Its not true capitalism - its a protection racket - quite illegal, but only on smaller scales.

How much do we spend on all that "management," which largely "manages" the profits of the companies employing the "managers"?

Look into it - the cost (ironically meant to SAVE $) is unbelievable!

[Popwhizbangz, LPN]

"Regulator" - Don't get me started....

[DLS_PMHNP, MSN, RN, NP]

sputum. Thick yellow sputum.

What you said above, with a touch of **odorous** pseudomonas. YUM!

[TRIALandERROR]

pruritis, extravasation, and yes, vesico-lady partsl fistula.

[traumaliz]

chunks......eeewwww.

[yginay]

Cannot stand the words "moist", "purulent" and "odor"...all 3 in a sentence, gah....I'll probably be trying desperately to hold back my lunch! :barf01:

[Angie1967]

Of all the medical terminology out their the best they can come up with for an amputee is.....STUMP?