Terrified of vomit! HELP!!

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I am a nursing student and will HOPEFULLY be starting clinicals next spring. I have a dilemma though..I have a weak stomach when it comes to vomit and sometimes blood (depending on the situation). I was hoping that I would be able to overcome this issue by the time I got to clinicals, but I am terrified of being the student who vomits or passes out from vomit or blood or other gross things:barf02:

I do not want this to be a factor in my career, I think after so much exposure you get used to some of these gross things (and i'm sure there are things you NEVER get used to) but I was wondering if anyone else has dealt with something similar. Will I still be bale to be a good nurse? Will I ever develop a stomach of steel? How do you overcome things/smells that gross you out??

Specializes in ortho, hospice volunteer, psych,.

something that helped me overcome gross smells, in addition to using vicks, was to tuck a cotton ball with two or three drops of oil of peppermint on it in my bra. it smells fresh

and clean, not perfumy, and the little bottle fits in your pocket, if you need to refresh it later.

kathy

sharpeimom:paw::paw:

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Usually the fear of the instructor standing at my backside, and wondering "what the heck should I be doing differently..." supercedes my awareness of the smells and noise of clinicals. But keep them emisis bags handy because quick disposal helps the smells disipate faster.

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Specializes in Psychiatric.

I too had a terrible fear of puke...not just the sight...the SOUND always got me and I'd be the first one out the door, until I went to nursing school...I got used to it fairly quickly. I found that smells really don't bother me that much...the thing that gets me is sputum...I still have to fight the urge to puke when I see it or hear it!

Best of luck to you!

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Specializes in Med-Surg, ER.

Speaking of peppermint, a couple of drops on a face mask covers nearly everything, and no one will look sideways at you for wearing a mask while doing stinky patient care. And if they do, heck with em.

Almost nothing bothers me - except homeless swamp foot. Wow. I've had one recently that I honestly didn't know how I was going to deal with it. I'm not talking about "I'm going to puke if I go in there." That I can choke down every time. We were well into "I'm honestly afraid that I'm going to end up asphyxiating." That man probably smelt of peppermint for weeks. :D

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Specializes in Infusion.

I was thinking lavender essential oil might work too....not as strong as peppermint, but it's more gentle, calming and can be used directly on the skin without using a carrier oil. You could even mix it with some petroleum jelly and wipe that just under your nose.

I will be doing my Nursing Assistant class in the spring, so I am sure I will get a chance to try all of these suggestions! :)

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Specializes in Peds/Neo CCT,Flight, ER, Hem/Onc.

23 years experience and I still can't handle puke, well, at least not the chunky kind. What doesn't bother me is GI bleeder poop. So what I do is trade off with someone who can't stand the GI bleed stuff but doesn't mind vomit. I clean up their patient, they clean up mine. We all have an Achille's heel of some kind and it's good to know what your co-worker's is...and offer to help. My techs and medics know that I will clean up anything as long as it isn't puke. That way they know I'm not just turfing the gross stuff to them. Plus they don't want to have to clean up MY mess if I yak.

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