As a Nurse, what gives you the willies?

[shippoRN]

Hi all, I'm a pre-nursing student, but I just thought this would be sorta fun to talk about. So all the current nurses, nursing students and soon-to-be-nurses, what's the one thing you just can't STAND...

For example....

I currently work with nurses (for about 2+ yrs now), and I know some of them just cannot take vomit, they can handle just about anything, but NOT vomit.

I know of others who can't stand anything to do with eyes, puss coming out of them you know all that gross stuff. I can personally attest to that, ugh I hate anything to do with eyes. It gives me the willies.

I also have nurses, who are bosses at starting lines, drawing bloods and what not, but absolutely freaks at the thought of having their own blood drawn or recieveing shots (which is pretty hysterical, watching them get their blood drawn ) I know of one nurse, who is so afraid of anyone drawing her blood, she starts her own line in her arm and draw her own blood. Trust me I've seen her do it.

The one thing I have learned, while working with my nurses, is that because certain things gross you out, it doesn't mean you are a bad nurse, or can't be a nurse. After all we are only human.

SO, in the spirit of things, what give YOU the willies...

[catzy5]

It's got to be wheeling a dead person down to the morgue for the first time, ALONE...I know a pathologist who told me that women usually don't like to come visit him. The idea of being alone in the deserted hall way in the basement with a dead person gives me the creeps, what if he/she slips off the gurney or makes weird sounds....I can already feel my heart pounding

One of these days before nursing school I will take heart and just visit him to say "Hi" to get training and slowly get used to it.

in our hospital it was usually a 2 person job, maybe its not like that everywhere.

we have a Cadaver in AP I have been fine with him all semeseter but he has always been out and ready to go. The other day I was helping a class mate do muscles he was not out yet and I studpidly assumed I would just have to unzip the bag, WrONG I had to remove his skin and expose the muscles creeped me out for a minute but I did it the sucking noise as I was peeling it off was a bit much but I got over it LOL. I am sure there will be many such moments in my journey

[catzy5]

I hope we won't encounter too many of these cases

stay out of the ICU unit this was a common condition there.

[augigi, CNS]

Sputum. Even saying it makes me gag. I had a horrid close encounter with a full sputum as a student... *gag*

Eyes - can't stand watching eye surgery, it's icky.

[stpauligirl]

stay out of the ICU unit this was a common condition there.

Thanks for the warning

[stpauligirl]

in our hospital it was usually a 2 person job, maybe its not like that everywhere.

we have a Cadaver in AP I have been fine with him all semeseter but he has always been out and ready to go. The other day I was helping a class mate do muscles he was not out yet and I studpidly assumed I would just have to unzip the bag, WrONG I had to remove his skin and expose the muscles creeped me out for a minute but I did it the sucking noise as I was peeling it off was a bit much but I got over it LOL. I am sure there will be many such moments in my journey

Almost makes me wish we had a human cadaver instead of the piggies....I guess I will just have to take everything "headon" and "Just Do It" when the time comes

[tatgirl]

I have a pretty strong stomach, but the 2 that get to me are gi bleeds, and sputum Yuck!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wendy

LPN

[whitneyLOL]

I just learned a lot, thanks all :)

[bflogrl]

I'm starting school in January but have been volunteering in a hospice for about 4 years. The only thing so far that really makes me gag is suctioning -- I am just about gagging trying to write this response, seeing the nurse stick that catheter down someone's throat and all that gunk comes up and deposits itself in the jar on the wall.......

How about needles and giving shots? I drew blood once during my EMT training so I've at least had my first on that.

[hptogram]

I can handle pretty much anything except when the 2nd shift forget to take one of the resident's teeth out to soak overnight. So the next morning when I go to dress her and I have to take her teeth out and clean them and there's all this old food.........yuck! That makes me gag.

[82airborne]

suctioning a trach gets me every time thank god for RT's, but the worst has to be pt's that have magots in wounds.

[shippoRN]

I can handle pretty much anything except when the 2nd shift forget to take one of the resident's teeth out to soak overnight. So the next morning when I go to dress her and I have to take her teeth out and clean them and there's all this old food.........yuck! That makes me gag.

ugh thats pretty creepy and pretty funny at the same time lol, sorry it just reminded me of the time one of my nurses soaked her mom's dentures in blue listerine and turned the whole thing blue. we were all on the floor laughing at her!!!

[shippoRN]

suctioning a trach gets me every time thank god for RT's, but the worst has to be pt's that have magots in wounds.

ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!!!! Maggots, you have GOT to be KIDDING!! Tell me you are kidding!! You are joking right? you did not see MAGGOTS in wounds. I'd just about die, if I saw that!!! What did you do????? I think Maggots just trumped everybody's willies. GROSS!!!!