panic every time...

allnurses Guide · Feb 23, 2008

Well, I have learned that everyone has their weak spot.

For me, it has become sticking/starting IV's on children. The thought of having to do it really makes me panic.

There is a nurse on my unit who cannot tolerate sputum or suctioning.

If you are going to work in the hospital, you are going to deal with patients who are vomiting. It's nothing to be ashamed of to say that it totally grosses you out but if the thought of someone throwing up literally makes you freeze, sends you into a total panic attack... you may either want to consider an area of nursing away from the hospital, or you may actually want to seek counseling. Do you have kids? Do you ever plan on having any? I mean, what are you going to do when they get sick?

allnurses Guide · Feb 23, 2008

BTW, I have no idea what giardia is... explain?

BethT · Feb 23, 2008

giardia is a parasite you get in the intestines,(i may not have spelled it right) it is caused by eating unwashed lettuce or veggies. i had it for two years, every doc i saw thought i was totally stressed out and put me on anti depressants all that mess..

i had diarrhea 8-12 times a day for over two years. i guess i was traumatized a little.

after it was all over (14 days worth of antibiotics, HA!) i got the stomach flu...i thought it was back and boy did i have a mental break down. lol my poor doctor, i know he thought i was nuts. i cried so hard he sent me home with samples!!

i think about that, doing a different area of nursing, i guess i just wont know until i jump right in there and try.

i don't have kids and everyone says it all changes when you have children, so i am hoping that rings true.

i really want to be a nurse and i dont want to not try because of something as silly as this, so i am going to give it my all.

thanks for the advice.

cloudstrife1ph · Feb 23, 2008

i also panic when i'm still studying BSN. i really hate it when i'm being called to assist in the operating in the operating room, the delivery room, and ICU. the main reason i think is because i don't want to make mistakes or act stupid on a place where i know that trial and error is not an option.

i remember on one ceasarean operation that i assisted, all inside the operating room where giggling because i sweat so much as if i'm the one performing the operation. my classmate wipes my sweat when it's ready to drop.

fortunately, i now gained confidence on assisting delivery because there was a time that the midwife got bored waiting and had a coffee break. the bag of water popped and the head is already appearing. the people in the DR searched for the midwife but they cannot find her. my instructor said that i can do it alone and don't humiliate my school because there are 3rd year students from a different school watching (it's their first time to go in a DR). everything went well and it's nice too see that the mother is thanking you because you did your best and had the courage to do it. i think that it's the most memorable thing for me to remember in my nursing career.

if you are really dedicated to be a nurse, try to endure everything. it might be hard at first but you will get use to it.

i'm a CNA and i always deal with mucus, feces, blood etc. i can smell, see, and touch these things and i got used to it. i only think that i have my good old trusty gloves.....:wink2:

BethT · Feb 23, 2008

thanks, i needed to hear that.

i know i can do it, i guess i just need to get some "trusty gloves" too, so to speak...lol

Becca608 · Feb 23, 2008

thanks, i needed to hear that.
i know i can do it, i guess i just need to get some "trusty gloves" too, so to speak...lol

We all have some 'THING' that we dread. The best thing to me is identify it, alert your clinical professor, and give yourself time and space and an understanding soul to deal with it. My terror is sick kids and the idea of having to do harm to a child even though it will make the child better is repugnant. I explained that to my pediatric clinical instructor and by the time my pediatric rotation was over, I was capable of doing what was needed to improve a child's health.

Nursing is not all roses.

EmilyUSFRN, RN · Feb 23, 2008

i think we're long lost sisters. seriously, i panic too! someone just has to say "i'm nauseous" and immediately my heart starts racing and I panic. My ex boyfriend would say he was nauseated all the time.... and it got to where I would grill him, asking if he felt like he was going to vomit OR he had indigestion, etc. usually it was the latter.

I've pinpointed that its the noise of retching that get me. I've cleaned it up many times without problem. I work in peds, so most of the puking episodes i deal with are the kiddos after eating, or taking a gross medicine, that doesn't bother me. It's the older kid, or someone post-op.... i get a little nervous automatically... its weird.

hang in there, i am!

Dolce, RN · Feb 23, 2008

I think you will find that your feelings of panic will resolve over time. Each nurse has an area that makes them squeamish. Some (like me) get squeamish in regard to anything related to OB/GYN. Just thinking about lady partsl delivery makes me nauseated. So, I stay far, far, far away from the maternity wards. Others get nauseated by diarrhea, foul odors, ear wax (me again), sputum, vomit, codes, etc, etc, etc. Find an area where you do not have to deal regularly with nauseated patients. I would suggest avoiding oncology units, post-op units (almost everybody gets sick after anesthesia) and GI units. There are many, many different fields of nursing. I'm sure you will find one that fits you.

Blee O'Myacin, BSN, RN · Feb 23, 2008

I do much better when it's someone I don't know. I dread seeing a familiar name on the board or a friend plunk themselves down in the triage chair and I'm halfway through my, "So... why did you come to the Emergency Room today?" spiel... I also have excellent aim with the emesis basins -- forget the little kidney shaped ones - go for the big old bucket and don't look at the contents while emptying it.

I could never stand my children's vomit before they were old enough to get themselves to the bathroom. My husband took charge of the stomach viruses in years past. It was emotionally heartwrenching for me. It's just different with patients.

Nasty used meal trays make me nauseated. My peeve is when they are placed on top of the nursing station counter instead of the closed cart. The other day I was bussing trays and I accidentally got my thumb in someone's half eaten pudding. Even gloved up, I still got queasy!

Blee

keeptryin · Feb 23, 2008

I can SO relate to what you are saying. I also panic! I mean freak out! It is the issue that kept me from going to nursing school for a long time. Then I aksed a nurse about it. You know, How did she "get used" to it? She told me that she never has. That when someone is "actively vomitting" it is really tough for her. But she just deals with it. Since then I have been placed in situations where people are vomitting ( I even hate the WORD!) but when I had the attitude that it is what it is...(go back to your phisiology class and think of it in terms of a physiological occurance)it becomes easier to deal with.And then I just focus on the person, not the puke. I also think for myself, the anticipation of someone throwing is worse than the actual event. Baiscaly it's mind over manner. Remeber, you ARE a professional. You can't change what's going on, but you can change the way you think about it. It really does help.

Ms Kylee · Feb 24, 2008

With me, it's poop... can't stand to look at it, smell it, or clean it up. C-Diff poop will make me gag faster than Mario Andretti winning the Indy 500. BUT... since it's my job to clean it up, I breathe through my nose and do so as fast as I can. I'm getting used to it, but I still don't like it.