Nybody else can deal with anything except vomit?

Bella Donna · Aug 10, 2007

You are not alone! Trust me.

Jen1228 · Aug 10, 2007

I definitely agree! I can handle just about any nasty thing you can think of, but vomit makes me gag! Even chewing with your mouth open grosses me out. I have heard many other nurses say the same thing.

leslie :-D · Aug 10, 2007

when i was in nsg school, i truly never thought i could handle certain tasks.

but when the time comes, you just buck up and do it.

mouth-breathing also helped.

there are always parts of nsg when one needs to be strong.

just consider vomiting, one of these parts.

you'll do fine, i'm sure.:balloons:

leslie

MAISY, RN-ER, BSN, RN · Aug 10, 2007

Nothing usually bothers me, but even I get that "feeling" sometimes. I work with several people that use essential oils on cotton balls, or even wear masks when cleaning patients using the possible contamination excuse. Some of these same people place oils on masks.

Burn unit also uses different essences on their masks to block bad odors when they are debriding.

Our housekeeping has an odor neutrilizer spray, maybe you could get something like that.

Don't worry, we all have some type of achilles heel. (Mine is the sound of suctioning, YUCK!)

Maisy;)

sunnydaydream · Aug 10, 2007

Seriously *cannot* deal with vomit but do if I have to. I'm cleaning and dry heaving with it all the time!!! Your *not* alone!!!

ICRN2008, BSN, RN · Aug 10, 2007

I had to leave the room once as a student and ended up asking the physical therapist hold the puke bucket for my patient. I seriously thought I was going to throw up too! It was really gross!

Cindy1008RN · Aug 10, 2007

Once upon a time, LOL.......it used to bother me. When I was young, I would shake like a leaf and felt like I was going to join the puking I don't know what happened....I guess having five kids. It is still nasty, and makes my stomach flip flop, but I usually turn that emotion into concern for their discomfort. Being a OB/GYN nurse, we see our fair share of hyper emesis patients. My mother could not understand how someone so grossed out by vomit could go into nursing...

I am sure there are circumstances like those mentioned above where I would not be able to handle the vomiting. ie. burn debridement, etc.

That is why I often say....it takes a special kind of person for EVERY area for nursing.

SoulShine75 · Aug 10, 2007

I'm with ya, it's my one big phobia. I don't know how I will ever get over this, except that I have had to deal with this a lot during clinical and I guess I was too concerned about the pt's at the time to really think of the vomit part. You will overcome this because it will be part of your job, however...it still grosses me out and I still want to run for the door if I see it, but I don't make a face and I don't run. I just hold my breath, offer to get a wash cloth and try not to look directly at it:lol2:. :uhoh3:

confused101 · Aug 10, 2007

I can't do the dry heaving thing. I only puked once and it was when I was cleaning up stool in a bedpan. It was just noxious. I have a hard time with smells. Like dishes that have sat for awhile. I smell them and then go throw up. There is sometimes that my husband has to do it. Yes, I know do the dishes as they are dirty, but oh well. The sunction is one of the worst too. This is why I can't do ICU. My whole ICU experience in nursing school was one hand sunctioning and turning my head. Oh, the whole coughing up stuff too. Just the sound. :) It only gets better!

al7139, ASN, RN · Aug 10, 2007

You are not alone!

I can deal with anything except vomit. I would rather deal with blood, pus, diarrhea, nasty stinky wounds, etc. any day.

I am a "sympathetic puker", so when I have patients who are vomiting, I try to call the nursing assistant to help, because if I see or hear someone vomiting, I start gagging, and might possible be sharing my pts emesis basin! If I have to face it, I try to not look, or I wait right outside the room until they are done. As a nurse I still have to assess their condition, and see if there is obvious blood, and measure it, but after they are done, I can deal.

Amy

CVICURN2003 · Aug 10, 2007

Anything but Vomit. You vomit, I dry heave. I try to keeo my patients from seeing it. We did a code a few weeks ago and it was SOOOOO bad there were 4 nurses in the code dry heaving. The years experience did not matter. It was from 2yrs to 25 years that were dry heaving. We were taking turns doing compressions and dry heaving at the same time. RT was doing it too...AWFUL....That was the worst ever. So no, you are not alone. I can clean a GI bleed all day, suction...but please don't puke!!!