Nurse Phobias?

Nurses General Nursing

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Just wondering, since I have one of my own... what are your phobias as a nurse? I know some people don't like sputum (the deeeeep down thick stuff) and so on, but is there something of which you have a deep down, debilitating fear? I guess it doesnt even have to be related to nursing...

FYI, this crossed my mind because I have a memory of being 6 years old or so and the movie Mask being on the TV (the Cher one, not the Jim Carrey one) and I cried and hid in the closet. Now, maybe that didn't do it, but I honestly have a fear of that kind of deformity. I can't even watch the FX channel because I saw on the channel guide the other day that it was on. And recently, there was a yahoo news picture of a severely deformed boy's face, and I nearly passed out. I haven't been to my 'My Yahoo' page in over a month now. Weird? I dunno, but I get upset just thinking about it at home alone. :o

FEET! I hate feet. It is one of the reasons I'm in pediatrics now. I'm OK touching feet from about brith to 8 years, after that, I will put gloves on if I'm dealing with them. Old diabetic feet give me the heebie jeebies. Though my husband does have nice feet (if such a thing can be said) I have him wear socks to bed because I can't deal with the possibility of his feet touching my legs in the night! Ugh! I really dislike summer or when people walk around in open-toe sandals/flip flops. I don't want to see your nasty feet!

Oh my goodness I can't believe it! I thought I was the only one! I loved my babies feet, but, Oh my, I can't even touch my own feet! I put on gloves to cut my toe nails. I rub foot cream in wearing gloves. Thank goodness we aren't allowed to cut pts nails, I'd throw up! Give me anything, anything but NOT FEET!! I don't own a silgle pair of thongs ( Flip-flops), no open toe shoes, nothing. Feet are yucky!

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Specializes in psychiatry,geropsych,LTC/SNF, hospice.

Add me as a non-lover of sputum. Also, enemas. I don't mind cleaning someone if they've been incontinent, but giving someone an enema is just...ugh. :uhoh21: The worst was a mme--milk and molasses; put me off molasses cookies for the rest of my life.:barf01:

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In my Mosby's medical dictionary there was a picture of a baby with...I forget what it is called, but their bodies are covered with keratin and they die a few hours after being born. I had to tear the page out of the dictionary because it bothered me so much.

Harlequin babies are another thing I find so disturbing I can't even look at a picture.

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Just wondering, since I have one of my own... what are your phobias as a nurse? I know some people don't like sputum (the deeeeep down thick stuff) and so on, but is there something of which you have a deep down, debilitating fear? I guess it doesnt even have to be related to nursing...

I would agree that i dont like tracheal suctioning!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:barf02:

:sofahider

The sight of sputum and the sound of suctioning make me wanna gag. Just typing this up is making me wanna :barf02:

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Oh my goodness I can't believe it! I thought I was the only one! I loved my babies feet, but, Oh my, I can't even touch my own feet! I put on gloves to cut my toe nails. I rub foot cream in wearing gloves. Thank goodness we aren't allowed to cut pts nails, I'd throw up! Give me anything, anything but NOT FEET!! I don't own a silgle pair of thongs ( Flip-flops), no open toe shoes, nothing. Feet are yucky!

I cringe when I see feet, especially when someone with crusty yellow thick toenails and callouses and bunyons wear open toed sandals, and they do. Some people believe in letting it all hang out but that just turns my stomach.

I think my 7 month old has the cutest little toes, though.

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Also, the eyes creep me out. I can't stand to even look in someone's eye.

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Specializes in Cardiac x3 years, PACU x1 year.

Lots of good answers! Since I'm now afraid to even google anything, what exactly does harlequin ichthyosis look like? Im going to guess something about scaly skin? Not sure about the harlequin, I thought that was mask-like or similar to the 'harlequin' masks, half of one color and half another?

I have another, though... my first experience with 3+ (or more) pitting edema was placing my hand on their belly while listening to BS and looking down (after feeling the squish) and finding my HANDPRINT IN THEIR SKIN. oh gooooooooosh that is a gross feeling. And crepitus. only felt/heard it once. never want to again.

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Specializes in OB, Med-Surg.

ok, first, my phobia is NG tube placement. I can take care of them no problem when they're already in, but putting them down is horrible for me. Can't stand the gagging, coughing, gasping. Makes me want to pass out. Second, the harlequin icthyosis is nasty nasty nasty stuff. Babies are sometimes born with their skin this way. It is scaly and raw. I once heard someone describe it as the babies skin is "inside out". It is awful, they are miserable and severe cases don't live long at all. I have googled it and the pictures are not something to look at if you have a weak stomach. I worked in OB, and thank God, I never ecnountered a baby with this.

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I think I've gotten tolerable of a lot... including feet, eyeballs, sputum, dirty dentures, etc. The one thing I still haven't gotten past is smegma -- especially in the form of an uncircumcised member that, when the foreskin is retracted, looks like it has a yellow cottage cheesy halo. *BLECH* And I, too, pulled up pictures of harlequin type ichthyosis to make sure it was what I was thinking it was, and yes, that IS disturbing and sad. A lot of the more severe, "brutal" looking birth defects freak me out, but not so much because they are a phobia but because I would be scared I would do something wrong in caring for them. Eek!

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Specializes in Cardiac x3 years, PACU x1 year.
I think I've gotten tolerable of a lot... including feet, eyeballs, sputum, dirty dentures, etc. The one thing I still haven't gotten past is smegma -- especially in the form of an uncircumcised member that, when the foreskin is retracted, looks like it has a yellow cottage cheesy halo. *BLECH* And I, too, pulled up pictures of harlequin type ichthyosis to make sure it was what I was thinking it was, and yes, that IS disturbing and sad. A lot of the more severe, "brutal" looking birth defects freak me out, but not so much because they are a phobia but because I would be scared I would do something wrong in caring for them. Eek!

i kid you not:

I am eating cottage cheese and toast for lunch

:barf02::chuckle

I am laughing and gagging at the same time

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Specializes in NICU.

Harlequin icthyosis is a disorder wherein the infant is born covered in plates of keratin. It forms a diamond pattern, hence the "harlequin". The hardening of the skin also pulls the mouth into what can appear to be a smile. The baby is often born with full contractures of the limbs. They are often bright red.

Basically, they look like their skin is inside out. The eyes appear inside out. It's really, really horrifiying. They generally die within a few hours because the tightness of their skin layer makes them unable to breathe, and I believe the insensible waterloss is overwhelming.

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Specializes in Cardiac x3 years, PACU x1 year.
Harlequin icthyosis is a disorder wherein the infant is born covered in plates of keratin. It forms a diamond pattern, hence the "harlequin". The hardening of the skin also pulls the mouth into what can appear to be a smile. The baby is often born with full contractures of the limbs. They are often bright red.

Basically, they look like their skin is inside out. The eyes appear inside out. It's really, really horrifiying. They generally die within a few hours because the tightness of their skin layer makes them unable to breathe, and I believe the insensible waterloss is overwhelming.

Oh, wow. Thanks for the info.

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