Passing out in the OR

MHaffer · Mar 12, 2009

That happened to me once, too, totally out of the blue. I did not think the surgery I was watching was gross and I wasn't hungry, but all of a sudden I got really hot and everything went black! :sstrs: Don't be embarassed, I know it has happened to a lot of nursing students. I have had scrub nurses tell me stories about how it happened to them, too, when they were in school. One bad experience in school doesn't mean you should choose another career!

By the way, I have felt it coming on again since my incident, and I found that it really helped if I loosened my mask a little. I put it on as loose as possible now to begin with so that if I'm getting a little woozy I can take some deep breaths out the side of the mask and actually get a little oxygen in haha! I've also found that I get "the feeling" less if I am cooler, so while I normally wear a T shirt under my scrubs, I skip it for the OR and I stay a little cooler :up:

Jennyw45013 · Mar 13, 2009

:) I am suprised that they were not more supportive. It has happened to plenty of people, one of my classmates passed out, knocking into a sterile cart and knocking a bunch of stuff over :) The grossed out hot feeling you get goes away with time. I would not get discouraged. If anyone in that room said they didn't get that feeling sometimes they were lying. I didn't have a terribly long OR rotation so I was spared or it would have been me too. Good luck, don't give up on your dream. The more you are around, the easier it will get!

greeniebean · Mar 13, 2009

when my sister in law had her third child, there were like 4 nursing students that watched. It was a lady partsl birth no complications and i guess everyone was fine but then all of a sudden i heard someone say "catch her!" well all the nurses were over around the incubator with the baby so i assumed that someone dropped the baby! But when i turned around, this poor student nurse was out cold! When she came to she was very embarassed but the instructor was very nice to her. said it's usually the smell of the blood coupled with the heat that gets them. I hope if i ever pass out i have an instructor like that one!

Nepenthe Sea · Mar 13, 2009

I can't believe he told you to find another career! My sister used to go to school to be a surgical tech, and she passed out once, and said that EVERYBODY does it at some point. I think he was just being an a*&! Don't let him get to you. You will be fine:)

I'm scared I will pass out, too when the time comes.

frankiebaby · Mar 13, 2009

Don't get discouraged! I had a similar experience recently where I was watching an epidural for a C-Section and I started to get all hot and sweaty. I knew what was coming so I stepped out of the room and got some air. But after that I was petrified that it would happen again! I'm an LVN doing a bridge program so I've seen a ton of surgeries and gross-out stuff, but something about that needle....uggh! Anyway my advice to you is get back on that horse! I volunteered for another C-section as soon as I could, I was very aprehensive, but everything went just fine. Try to listen to your body and if you start getting the signs (feeling hot, sweating, seeing spots, hearing buzzing noises) that you might faint, just step out of the room and sit down, take some breaths, and put your head between your knees if you have to. This has happened to a lot of people. Eventually you will become desensitized.

Good luck!:wink2:

BabyLady, BSN, RN · Mar 13, 2009

Most of the time, it's the mask. The first trip I made to the OR, I had no problems with what I was seeing. But within minutes I felt myself getting dizzy and lightheaded.

However, the staff did tell us (b/c they were told we had never been in an OR), that if you felt dizzy to loosen the mask, pull it away and get some oxygen...that rebreathing too much CO2 will cause you to crash.

Panthyr · Mar 13, 2009

I got that hot, buzzy, spots feeling once when I was younger. I was working in a vet's office and the doctor was doing a routine examination of a pomeranian's knee. I mean, seriously. It was a normal knee, there wasn't even a wound. He was just examining it. So it seriously cannot possibly have anything to do with how gross the procedure is! I'm a little worried about my OR rotation too, but thankfully since that happened to me way back then, I know what it feels like in case I start to feel woozy.

NurseLoveJoy88, ASN, RN · Mar 13, 2009

Don't get discouraged ! The nurses told us student in the OR that as soon as we get hot, leave the room !

RN2B25 · Mar 13, 2009

I just went through a similar situation on Wednesday during my med-surg rotation. I (along with a classmate) were in my patient's room. We were talking with him and getting to know him. The room was very hot, and I was sitting by the heater. I told my classmate that I felt hot, and moved away from the heater. A couple of minutes later, I started seeing black spots and started feeling super hot and very weak. I tried to walk away from the room, but barely made it 10 ft away from my patient, and had to sit down. Next thing I know my instructor was rushing in with a wheelchair. I WAS SOOO embarrased. somehow I got to the wheelchair, I was still super dizzy and seeing black spots. 3 of my classmates were wonderful (along with my instructor). One got me apple juice and crackers, someone else took my blood pressure (which was 90/60) and someone else got a cold compress to put around my neck and forehead. WIthin minutes, I felt much better. Nontheless I was embarrassed!

Carrie_MTC · Mar 13, 2009

Thanks for all the comments it really does help me to feel better to know I'm not the only nursing student this has happened to! I didn't know about the mask trick so if I ever feel like that again I'll try it. It makes sense though because before I passed out I felt like I was suffocating and just wanted to pull the mask off.

allnurses Guide · Mar 13, 2009

Happened to me as a nursing student - they hadn't even started the case, so it wasn't being grossed out. It's the mask & hat, I just get hot. Now my job involves being in the OR every week for hours, I still hate the mask so I just wear it loose and breathe through the sides at times if I feel weird. Must be CO2 sensitive!

Don't worry about the doc - some people are just jerks!