Squeemishness

Sputum...gets me every time. Everyone in the unit knows about this and makes sure I hear about all the junk they just suctioned out of their pt.'s tube....ugh!!

I do think you will learn to be able to handle, but it might probably always bother you. Almost everyone I know has at least something that bothers them a bit, but they have learned to cope with it.

Visually things do not bother me. I can see blood, vomit, urine, cat guts (lots of those in lab), and all sorts of nasty goo and I am fine.

Smell gets me every time. I have learned to carry vicks vapor rub with me, and if something is really nasty smelling I just put a little under my nose, and then I am fine.

I also have what the above poster mentioned above with the someone vomiting. It's not so much seeing it, but hearing the noises associated with it. I can usually surpress it, but if I am already the least bit sick to my stomach it could be a problem.

I couldn't deal with hearing/seeing/smelling vomit until someone I was on a roadtrip with vomited all over the van, and as I was one of the people in charge I felt it was my duty to clean it up. I've been fine ever since. I couldn't deal with feces until I had to housetrain my dog.

I'd think it goes away. It also helps when you have to do something, rather than just stand there and think about it.

You will become desensitized to it. I'm ok with everything except feces, but ultimately you have to deal with things that you don't like sooner than later. It's not a big deal.

I work in a hospital lab though, so it's easier for me cuz everything is already in tubes and containers before we get it. Only thing that kills me is when we get 72hour Quantitative Fecal Fat specimens, where the patient has to collect their stool for 3 days (and store it in their refrigerator in between collections, yikes!). We have to thoroughly mix all the feces to obtain a sample representative of the full 3 days of collection. It's just WRONG! Nothing like stirring up some ****! (literally)

We have to thoroughly mix all the feces to obtain a sample representative of the full 3 days of collection. It's just WRONG! Nothing like stirring up some ****! (literally)

HA! This is the craziest thing I've ever heard!!! :chuckle

Personally, I don't like anything involving bones. I think I would pass out if I were ever to witness something like a hip replacement. There's something about a surgeon hammering away that makes my stomach get knotted up... But hey, feces and vomit - bring it on!

I work in a micro lab and we see/smell everything. You do get used to it. I mean I can eat lunch after processing feces and playing with broncs and sputums etc. Nothing fazes me anymore. Good luck !