Things that make you go... ehhh errmm ack!

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

Published

I have a strong desire to become a nurse regardless of what I have to do but I can't help but cringe with I think of some things. You know the things that would have normal people turning pale. Which I may even be included in that catagory but I've never been exposed to such things and have only read about them. I plan to do what it takes to be a nurse any suggestions to desensitizing myself to things before I get to that point? Does anyone else cringe when thinking about taking care of a colostomy, cleaning feces, changing bed pans... etc... I know there are probably much worse things that I can currently imagine but you get the idea about what Im talking about. I thought about just attempting to find the most disgusting photos, and videos on the web and viewing them till they no longer make me cringe. Watching lots of discovery health channel seems to have at least made it easier to watch someone go under the knife. Ideas, comments, or suggestions?

Specializes in Medical-Surgical, Hemodialysis.
Most things don't bother me. I had to suction my baby girl multiple times a day, vomit/BM doesn't phase me. I was thinking I'd be set for nursing school.

Now today I get my sutures taken out (had surgery on my arm on Monday for a lipoma). No kidding, I see her bring the scissors over, my head gets lightheaded, my stomach turns; I hear the scissors snip and I black out. It's not like it hurt, but I no kidding saw black. My first thought was am I going to make it as a nurse? Or am I going to pass out when I'm doing this to other people?

Why in the world did I black out?

Anticipation, fear of the unknown. Don't feel bad for blacking out and definitely don't take it as a sign that you won't cut it in nursing. We are all human.

I passed out not once but twice the last time I donated blood. Those Red Cross nurses are fast on their feet!

0 Votes

call me weird, but this is one of the most interesting forum discussions i've read. some are a bit gross, some kinda funny but all caught my attention. this is kind of a breath of fresh air ( ha ha) because i am so sick of reading about competing to get in a program and such an such...anyways, i don't really know what makes me gag yet, but i can't wait to find out!!!

0 Votes
Specializes in ER preceptorship, almost a year on PCU..

I haven't seen any of it in person, but I don't have a problem with the thought of any of it or the sight on TV or a website... but I really don't like the idea of sticking things up where I can't see them. IVs, needles, catheters, ears, noses... The only thing worse is eye injuries. I see someone so much as touch their eye or rub their eyelid the wrong way, my eyes start watering.

0 Votes
Specializes in LTC.

Alright I've been a CNA for two years now. Most of the normal body fluids don't bug me to much. Hacking up mucus I just kinda shrug smile and encourage them to get it up. Poop, urine, and vomit aren't that bad so far. Sometimes the poop smell or the extremely strong uti from heck urine smell will get me, but I smile through it. Though I will say the brown chunky urine wasn't all the plesant. Those normal-ish things I can get through.

What scares the heck out of me is how I will react to things such as parasites like maggots. Or rotting flesh.

The entire idea of creepy crawlies in people just makes me shiver a bad shiver.

0 Votes

this post has me cracking up!!!! LMAO! i can't give any advice but i will note the 2 things i can't handle well--stinky feet and bad breath!! bodily fluids i can handle, and once we had a pt with, oh, about 1000 maggots in her DM leg decub!!! her sister stated that when she discovered them UNDER the dressing, she fainted straight to the floor. it was hard to keep a straight face upon hearing that!! i guess if anything, that will be my problem--because seeing gross stuff creates an annoying case of the giggles for me !!!! i know its nerves, but it is SO inappropriate, i have to learn to control that urge to burst out laughing when i see a patient gagging/vomiting (as long as the patient is stable, btw, i never have the urge to giggle of a pt is very ill:nono: ) or to see another nurse gagging--man, that is terrible!!! i can barely hold my laughter....:barf01:

0 Votes
Just wait till you've got the bowel prep, non ambulatory ptient squirting for 8-10 hours, THEN come back and tell us it just poop.............:uhoh3:

I've seen some nasty stuff. I can handle it though, so it's no big deal. I just can't stand when I see CNAs complaining about every little thing, saying how nasty everything is.

But yeah, poop has a mind of it's own sometimes.

0 Votes
Specializes in LTC.
I've seen some nasty stuff. I can handle it though, so it's no big deal. I just can't stand when I see CNAs complaining about every little thing, saying how nasty everything is.

But yeah, poop has a mind of it's own sometimes.

Have ya been a CNA? As a CNA I've seen some rather 'interesting' things. Theres nothing like sitting down (finally) and resting your hand on your chin and looking down at your arm to see a streak of something that was once wet and NOT yours stuck to your arm. ;)

0 Votes
Specializes in Peds.
I thought about that too. I took my mother to ER to get some stitches on her head. I said ok...i can do this I can watch... I almost fainted during numbing process (when Dr. injected anesthesia in my mother's scull)...

Under normal circumstances, these things don't bother me at all. I think some of the trepidation has to do with the fact that it was a loved one...... For instance, watching the plastic surgeon reattach part of my 5 year old daughter's finger made me queasy as did watching several suturing sessions on my kids..... (I have athletic kids which tends to equal a lot of ER visits it seems).

0 Votes

Being a CNA, not to much (at work) bothers me, I've seen alot. However at home DH deals with the puke LOL. I am a bit nervous about fainting during surgery. It dosen't bother me on TV or post-op. But when DS had to have stiches I almost fainted, I was laughing saying "I deal with worse stuff everyday, What's going on?" Anyway I hope it's just because it was my son, and I'll have no problems as a nurse. I've never even come close to fainting, any other time. Anyway I'm sure we'll all do fine! Good luck to us all!

0 Votes
Specializes in Med-Surg so far.
This is my exact fear too. I'm starting my nursing program in September. My biggest worry is vomit. I can't even watch fake vomiting on TV. Even the SOUND of someone vomiting in another room makes me have to hold back my own.

The sound really gets to me too. I'm worried about that also. I was leaving work the other day (I am working at a hospital in IS right now) and I heard someone barfing up a lung in one of the public bathrooms. It was all I could do not to lose it myself.

0 Votes
Specializes in Pediatrics.

yeah you get exposed to alot of things at clinicals but you do get used to it. Id rather change a colostomy than adult diaper clean up anydays. The only smell I couldn't get used to was the smell of a stage 3 or 4 decubitus or the smell when someone has it so bad that they are on a woundvac. mmmmmm rotting flesh. just look at things in a medical standpoint. don't think of it as wiping butt, think of it as maintaining skin integrity and the fact that cleaning that up prevented that person from being at a greater risk to tissue break down.

0 Votes

Sort of OT but apropos to the post....

"A good nurse can give an enema with one hand and eat a sandwich at the same time with the other........"

Conley Mediger quoting Ma Halleck

0 Votes
+ Add a Comment