Overcoming faint feelings

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I have not started nursing school yet but will in January. What have you come across that has made you feel faint? How have you over come it?

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Dialysis.

I am starting NS next week but I work in the ER and one thing that bothered me so far was a GI Bleed, the smell is unexplainable!!! I didn't feel faint but as soon as I left the room I was coughing, gagging, and almost lost my breakfast!!! Everytime I thought about the smell that day I feel sick to my stomach! Some things you just get used to after a while, like I have seen a lot of blood since I have worked in the ER and blood doesn't even phase me anymore! Good luck, you will be do great! :wink2:

I never thought I would be able to handle the ER but I really like it!

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I am starting NS next week but I work in the ER and one thing that bothered me so far was a GI Bleed, the smell is unexplainable!!! I didn't feel faint but as soon as I left the room I was coughing, gagging, and almost lost my breakfast!!! Everytime I thought about the smell that day I feel sick to my stomach! Some things you just get used to after a while, like I have seen a lot of blood since I have worked in the ER and blood doesn't even phase me anymore! Good luck, you will be do great! :wink2:

I never thought I would be able to handle the ER but I really like it!

When you say blood doesn't phase you anymore, do you mean at one time it did? Im worried about this. Today a guy in our office cut his arm on something and I helped him put a band aide on it. The way he cut it took off about 2.5 inches of skin, just the top layer. I felt so faint I had to sit down. I almost want to cry because I can't believe how I was affected by it.

However a few weeks ago I shadowed a nurse in the SICU and saw gun shot victims and some other pretty traumatic stuff and felt fine. I never once felt light headed.

Im just worried about if I can get over this or if its going to continue to be a problem. I'd like to hear some stories on how others may have overcome this.

Thanks!

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Do you think you feel more faint when you KNOW the person??

I am only a volunteer, and on my school's waiting list for the nursing program. I thought I would be grossed out a lot more than I am. I started volunteering to see if Nursing was something I even wanted to look IN to.

I think for me, once I see that the person is in need, and depending on us for help, any squeamishness goes away. I'm there to help, make them better, and that's about it.

I've been testing myself in little ways also. A few weeks ago, my brother's big toe got smashed to pieces and the nail came off, huge cuts, they almost had to amputate, the Dr. said! Yikes! I stayed there through the whole stitching procedure, washing, etc. I wasn't grossed out a bit, and I really thought I would be, as it was my brothers, whom I know and love, blood.

I hope this makes sense, sorry to ramble.

I hope clinicals will clear you of some of your faint-ness feelings BeesAngel!

:icon_hug:

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Dialysis.
When you say blood doesn't phase you anymore, do you mean at one time it did? Im worried about this. Today a guy in our office cut his arm on something and I helped him put a band aide on it. The way he cut it took off about 2.5 inches of skin, just the top layer. I felt so faint I had to sit down. I almost want to cry because I can't believe how I was affected by it.

However a few weeks ago I shadowed a nurse in the SICU and saw gun shot victims and some other pretty traumatic stuff and felt fine. I never once felt light headed.

Im just worried about if I can get over this or if its going to continue to be a problem. I'd like to hear some stories on how others may have overcome this.

Thanks!

I used to be really scared of needles and blood, I had mono. and a absess on my right tonsil when I was 14 and everytime I went to the doc they took more and more blood and gave me injections of antibiotics because I was sick for a few months. After that I was deathly scared of everything medical-docs, nurses, needles, doc's offices, blood, blood on tv, etc!!! I never thought I would ever even consider nursing but then I look at all the opportunities and my interest in the field and all of my fears dissappeared. I am still nervous about clinicals but I really want to do this, so I am thinking since this is really what I want everything will go well! Good luck!

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