Sympathy Pains....will they ever go away?

[AndiePi]

I'm going to be starting nursing school in January, and I'm a little nervous. When I did clinicals for CNA I noticed that I had a lot of sympathy pains when I'd see someone who had a sore, or if someone was getting an injection. Its something I can deal with. I was still able to do what I needed to do, and I wasn't grossed out or anything along those lines. I'm just wondering...is this normal? Will I always feel this way? Is it worse if I'm the one giving the injection? There's no doubt in my mind that nursing is what I want to do, I guess I'm just curious if it will always be like this or if the sympathy pains go away eventually, once seeing these things becomes an everyday commonplace sort of thing. Can anyone relate??

[Always_Learning, BSN, RN]

Honestly, when I had to give injections, pass meds, or do dressing changes, I was too focused on my technique to be worried about much else. Now, the dressing changes can be difficult sometimes because they can be extremely painful for the patient (depending on the wound), but I always seem to go into "Git 'er Done" mode (LOL) and it's over before you know it. Of course, you always worry about the patient's comfort, but the more you do these things, the better you will become. I think you'll find that doing these tasks yourself is a lot different than just watching it being done to someone. I'm sure you'll do great! Best wishes!

[Nascar nurse, ASN, RN]

There is only one end of the needle that causes pain & as the nurse, I don't intend to touch that end. That being said, remember that many painful things must be done (as kindly as possible) or the resulting outcome may become much worse than the original situation.

[Nepenthe Sea]

I used to be a licensed massage therapist and when I was in school for that I did a massage on a fellow student. As I was working on her upper chest, she mentioned that she had had breast cancer and had to have breast surgery several times. I felt a "chill", I guess is the best way to describe it, when I was near her chest after that. And I noticed it out of school, when I would work on a part that a person had injured. I just started clinicals and I get them still, ten years later. It doesn't hurt, it just feels "weird"...I don't know how else to describe it. If I am actually performing a technique (cath insertion, removal, etc.) then, like the previous poster, I am focused on what I am doing and don't notice. But if I am watching say, a dressing change, I feel it. I kind of hope that I will continue to feel it. I don't ever want to get so used to it that I can't empathize with a patient anymore. It doesn't get in my way, so I'm okay with it.

[AndiePi]

Thanks for the replies. So I expect it will get easier, but never really go away....which depending on the way you look at it could be a good thing. Ill look at it as a way to understand and empathize with people's pain.

[happilymarried]

IMO, a large part of being an effective nurse (or nursing student in my case) is to be in tune with the patients. I don't "feel" the pain the patient is experiencing but I am aware it. As nurses we are in a great position to explain to the patient what they may experience during a procedure. I think that being a sensitive nurse to your patient's needs equals being a caring nurse. It sounds to me like you are going to be an empathetic, caring nurse.