Not cut out to be a nurse?

DarthMom · Jan 28, 2006

Don't worry babe. My poor little boy came home sick yesterday. This morning, he said he had more puke in his bowl. I was lucky enough to work last night, and the hubby cleaned up. But this morning, it was my turn, and I gagged about 10 times before even looking at it. I couldn't stop. I was sooo nauseous. Whole time between gags I am screaming "jesus, am I going to be able to be a freakin nurse and I can't even look at my sons vomit"

:imbar

I am just hoping to get used to it, and get over it. You will too.

ShayRN · Jan 28, 2006

Hello everyone,
Currently I am in school doing pre-req's for my RN, but something happened this weekend to make me wonder if this is the right thing for me. My DD came home from school with lice. I know to everyone else this is not that big of a deal, gross but no biggie. well, I about died, had this huge anxiety attack and freaked out. today, i dont even know what to clean first and i am thinking i probably have it too, but i dont have anyone to go through my head for me so everytime i go to clean something i feel like i am "re-contaminating" it.
I dont know what it is with this. its like my worst nightmare. everytime i go to the movies or sit in a airplane seat its all i can think of and i feel all itchy like theres stuff crawling on me. i dont get grossed out with germs in general, its just this. i already have my cna and work in a nursing home so im wiping poop and dealing with nasty stuff all the time, i even have a resident with mersa that i can deal with just fine. using all the precautions of course, but i dont feel like im gonna catch it or anything.
so what do you guys think, is this a look into the future telling me what i will not be good at?
thanks in advance
megan

Oh, that is a perfectly normal reaction to lice, from ANYWHERE, lol. When we have a patient on the floor, we all get itchy:rotfl: But it would be REALLY bad from your child. We are ALL different with our kids than our patients. FOR EXAMPLE: I worked on a cardiothoracic surgical stepdown unit for over 4 years. I have seen my share of codes where they crack the chest open and shock the heart (never seen it successful, though:rolleyes: ) but my son got hit in the nose with a baseball last year and I darn near passed out when I saw HIS blood:imbar Don't ever judge your professional abilities by how your react with your kids, it just isn't the same.

Hnebun · Jan 28, 2006

Hello-

I think everyone has something that gets to them...it doesn't mean you aren't cut out to be a nurse. The thing that gets to me is little kids crying...I can deal with vomit, BM's, mucus, oozing sore-all kinds of stuff...but the sound of a kid crying just makes me want to run in a corner and hide (but I don't!) I am not interested ER or Peds work for that very reason. But I know I am gonna make one heck of an orthopedic or med/surg nurse! I have a friend who cannot stand the sight of snot-she shudders when someone sneezes!

So chin up-you are fine!

Trauma Columnist · Jan 28, 2006

As other posters have stated...its a different story when the patient is someone you love. As to lice...I work in the ER and many of my homeless patients have cooties. You do learn to get used to it - never to like it, but most people can deal with it. I say go for nursing! Good luck...

ArmyTrainedLVN · Jan 28, 2006

hmmmm I wouldnt be too worried about I think everyone has that one (or more) things that just bother them you cant help it your human. I served time in the army as a combat medic then went on to get my LVn in the army and worked in the med surgs halls Ive been around lots of pretty nasty stuff blood, poop, bed ulcers, necrotic toes,traumatic amputations non healing wounds just about about everything but for me I cant stand the site of mucus/pleghm(sp?) its just freaks me out. You have no idea how hard it is for me to change a suction canister but you just gotta deal with it for the pts sake and get through it.

dreamingofbeing · Jan 28, 2006

I can deal with my patients vomit but can't clean up my own childs. I think it's different when it's one of our own family members especially since we don't get to leave the problem behind us after our day is over.

Faeriewand, ASN, RN · Jan 28, 2006

Lice prefer the heads of children, not adults so I doubt you have it. I've known families whose children came home with lice and even tho they shared the hairbrush only one child had lice, not the adults, so not as catchy as you think.

Hope this helps. :)

mom23RN · Jan 28, 2006

You'll be fine. BEfore I was a nurse I would retch at the sound of someone vomiting. As a nurse they could puke right on me and I was fine. :rolleyes:

But... even as a seasoned trauma nurse, send me into a room where someone's toenail is hanging off and you could watch me hit the floor. :uhoh21:

We all have our weaknesses.

ShayRN · Jan 28, 2006

You'll be fine. BEfore I was a nurse I would retch at the sound of someone vomiting. As a nurse they could puke right on me and I was fine.
But... even as a seasoned trauma nurse, send me into a room where someone's toenail is hanging off and you could watch me hit the floor. :uhoh21:
We all have our weaknesses.

:lol_hitti :rotfl: :chuckle

MINE is seeing someone CUT into someone elses skin. I can handle seeing open, seeping wounds, but cut someone open in front of me and I am out.

**RosesrReder, BSN, MSN, RN** · Jan 28, 2006

As other posters have stated...its a different story when the patient is someone you love. As to lice...I work in the ER and many of my homeless patients have cooties. You do learn to get used to it - never to like it, but most people can deal with it. I say go for nursing! Good luck...

Glad to read this. :)

ParrotHeadRN · Jan 28, 2006

I don't know anyone who wouldn't be creeped out by the thought of lice in their own home. And I don't know anyone who doesn't have SOMETHING they just can't tolerate. Mine is sputum and the gunk that collects in people's mouths when they can't do mouth care themselves. I'm actually getting better with sputum, but if I have to clean out a disgusting mouth, I'm gagging the entire time. Sometimes, if it's too bad, I'll ask someone who doesn't mind it to do it while I do something for them. It usually works out well that way. Once I was helping an aide clean out a patient's mouth and she started pulling this black wad of ICK from the back of her throat. It just kept coming. Let me tell you, I was OUT of there. Gagged all the way down the hallway. :barf01: Thank goodness the poor aide I left there didn't have the aversion I do. As I now work with mostly intubated/sedated patients, if I gag a little it doesn't matter. What's really bad is when the patient is awake and alert and I have to pretend I'm not bothered by it. Dentures get me too, if they are really nasty.