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I'll get straight to the point, I've never done well with foul smells, or vomit. I recognize that this is a huge issue and I'm looking for some advice. Have you ever felt this way? If so, how did you overcome it? How far into the program were you when you realized that you were finally comfortable with it?

Specializes in Pediatrics, Trauma.

Smells normally don't bother me, but I keep Vicks vapor rub (or just a generic) in my clinical bag at all times just in case. I know several people who put a light layer around each nostril to help with smells.

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I just finished up my CNA clinicals and the thing that bothered me most was mucous. Seeing it, hearing it rattle around in their throats, eeeeek. Deep, deep breaths through my mouth helped me suppress the gags.

For poop or vomit, I breathe through the side of my mouth. One of my classmates called me "Popeye" because of it. LOL! I don't care how it looks, it helps me make it through without offending the patient and tossing my cookies.

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First year nursing student here. This is one of my major fears....that I will not be able to deal with the poop/puke in nursing. Hopefully, I will be able to find some coping mechanism that will allow me to look at it as just part of the job. Glad to see that I am not the only one....I was starting to question my decision to go to nursing school.

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If you truly want to be a nurse you will come up with ways to deal with it!!

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Specializes in Emergency Department.
First year nursing student here. This is one of my major fears....that I will not be able to deal with the poop/puke in nursing. Hopefully, I will be able to find some coping mechanism that will allow me to look at it as just part of the job. Glad to see that I am not the only one....I was starting to question my decision to go to nursing school.

If you've had kids, think back to having to change diapers and clean up their vomit... after a while of doing that, it doesn't bother you. You might not necessarily like it, but it's just part of the job. Same with people. There will be aspects of the job you won't necessarily be thrilled with but it's part of the territory and you just go do it and not give it a second thought. It just is... just as much as a med pass is or an assessment. I don't know how many times I've cleaned up a patient or jumped in to help someone else do it. When it comes to helping out with this, I'm NOT above helping a CNA/PCT with this because ultimately it helps them and me!

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Specializes in Med-Surg, NICU.

First time I saw a four-staged pressure ulcer, I nearly passed out.Now I go out of my way to look up gross stuff on YouTube. I find it fascinating.

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Specializes in Hospice.

Second year student now and CNA. I find that when I focus on the patient and how uncomfortable and embarrassed they must be, and try to handle them with dignity and respect and not let anything negative show on my face, then the smells don't affect me at all. It's part of the job. You get used to it quickly. Just think about the patient and imagine yourself in that position one day (because you will be there) and someone will be applying vicks to their nose when they clean you up too. Just think of maintaining the dignity of the patient and you will get through it.

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Specializes in ICU.

I used to have a problem with it until I became a mom. I totally agree with the pp that said it's pretty much like cleaning a diaper. Now some smells will get to me. I plan on keeping some vicks in my pocket when we do clinicals. But as far as seeing anything, I don't think that will bother me. I was also in ICU a few times over the years due to various illnesses and I know how embarrassing it can be for the patient. I think that experience will help me be more empathetic towards my patients and I will do my best not to make them feel uncomfortable around me.

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I keep a little tiny bottle of those breath drops in my pocket just in case. I've smelled a lot so far (C-diff, vomit, all kinds of BMs, etc). The lymphedema weepage was probably the worst so far for me. I can tolerate a lot of smells but have discovered that BO makes me want to toss my cookies, of all things LOL. But the drops work great, I just wipe a couple up by the nostrils...and it smells more like I just have a breath mint in rather than I'm trying to mask some odor I am trying to tolerate :)

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Specializes in ICU.

I don't have much of an issue with the smells of vomit or diarrhea. What gets me is the *sound* of someone vomiting. There's something about that retching noise that just gets to me! I know a lot of people have trouble with sputum and suctioning, but that really doesn't affect me much either.

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I agree with the other posters...in time you get more use to it and you find ways to deal with it while you are in training. I'm going in to my 4th year of my program - mostly the mucous/trach stuff is what makes me want to run off the floor. I'm not a blood guts kind a girl to be quite honest either compared to most of my fellow students and thats okay! Here's the thing...there are SO many different areas of nursing- you only have to do this for a finite amount of time if its the straw that breaks the camels back so to speak. You might find yourself in public health nursing where there is a lot more health promotion and teaching. Who knows, the options are limitless in this field.

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I'm not a mother to children, but I have my "fur babies". My rotty had so many stomach issues growing up with vomit & diarrhea almost every day. As a puppy he actually projectile diarrhea'ed on me in the middle of a Lowe's Home Improvement store. Since then, I have not had any problems with vomit or poo.

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