My " I almost passed out" story

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Specializes in Urgent Care.

I was at work on Friday night and a patient came in who needed a catheter. Now I haven't started clinicals yet so I assisted the doctor ( I am a CMA). Well we were in there for 20 minutes or so, everything is fine. Well the patient has bladder cancer, and everytime I fill the balloon up, once I get to 2 cc they started moaning in pain. Ok, back out, reposition, try again. More moaning and yelling. All of a sudden... my hands get tingly, my face gets red hot and I have to sit down. Luckily the patient couldn't see, but I am sitting there with my head between my legs and doc says " can you fill it up again". So I get up, inject 5 cc, patient is in pain, I stop, and almost fall back down into the chair. How embarrasing!! Then he asks me to go and run a urine. Ok, but I can't get up without falling down!! It took me a good 15 minutes to get my bearings again. I don't know if it was the hot lights, gloves, confined space, or the fact that the patient was in so much pain, I have no clue. I am also sick with a cold, raw throat, nausea. At least the doc said " I don't think any less of you" Gee thanks! :rolleyes:

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Specializes in Operating Room.

Awe, I'm sorry, Achoo!! Maybe you weren't feeling well, so things just hit you differently. Queezy stomachs do weird things.....:(

I'm sure things will be different next time.

Good luck! :icon_hug:

I was at work on Friday night and a patient came in who needed a catheter. Now I haven't started clinicals yet so I assisted the doctor ( I am a CMA). Well we were in there for 20 minutes or so, everything is fine. Well the patient has bladder cancer, and everytime I fill the balloon up, once I get to 2 cc they started moaning in pain. Ok, back out, reposition, try again. More moaning and yelling. All of a sudden... my hands get tingly, my face gets red hot and I have to sit down. Luckily the patient couldn't see, but I am sitting there with my head between my legs and doc says " can you fill it up again". So I get up, inject 5 cc, patient is in pain, I stop, and almost fall back down into the chair. How embarrasing!! Then he asks me to go and run a urine. Ok, but I can't get up without falling down!! It took me a good 15 minutes to get my bearings again. I don't know if it was the hot lights, gloves, confined space, or the fact that the patient was in so much pain, I have no clue. I am also sick with a cold, raw throat, nausea. At least the doc said " I don't think any less of you" Gee thanks! :rolleyes:
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Specializes in NICU Level III.

Sounds like me every day in clinicals! Well, sorta. I can do wound dressing that are gaping and oozing, but I can't do needles. I nearly passed out watching an epidural last wk!

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Specializes in SICU,L and D.

I had clincals in the ICU. The wound care nurses were doing a change and out teacher wanted us to see it. a 500 pound lady was lying in bed. The nurses started to unwrap what looked like sheets covered in blood. I was ok...till I noticed the ladys led looked like it was falling off and in half! They kept taking off the huge bandage and then i noticed her stomache was exposed and it looked like her body was cut in half all red bleeding and pink. Then the nurse informed me she had 40 lbs of flesh removed from the flesh eating disease!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I started to itch and feel nauseated...at this point I quitely turned left the room and went back to the nurses station feeling worse then I have ever felt.

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Specializes in Urgent Care.

I'm glad I'm not alone. I guess it's the fact that I have been working for 13 years already and now this happens? LOL

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Specializes in PeriOp, ICU, PICU, NICU.
I'm glad I'm not alone. I guess it's the fact that I have been working for 13 years already and now this happens? LOL

Glad you are much better now. Take care of yourself.

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