I am not worried about most things that I am facing when I start nursing school next month, the long hours, complex subject matter, or high expectations. I AM worried about one thing that I will encounter when I enter clinicals... vomit.
I am so sorry to be gross, but I do not deal with vomit well (ashamed to say, not even my own children's). I am terrified that when I encounter this in school that no matter what my intentions are, that I won't be able to block it out and be as professional as I need to be (vomiting on my own is a REAL possibility)
I have talked to a couple of nurses about this, and they say that all nurses have "that one thing" that grosses them out, but eventually you get over it to where it is not a problem anymore. Has anyone else encountered something similar??
Again, I am so, so, so sorry for this subject matter, I just really need some advice. I am not naive enough to think, this won't happen to me, I am just trying to get prepared.
By the way, my very first day on my very first job as a teenager got me over my vomit phobia. It was at McDonalds and I was working the lobby. My manager called me over and told me I needed to "attend" to the men's restroom. I thought I was going to die when I saw that what I needed to clean up was vomit that mostly consisted of a salad-looking substance in the urinal.
When I worked residential as a direct support professional, there was one resident who had MASSIVE bowel movements that routinely clogged up the toilet. One time no amount of plunging was working. I finally had to reach down there (with a glove, but still) and manually break up the turd so that it would go down. This was during my last semester of nursing school, so I was over poop at that point, but still. It was pretty gross.
My "things" are poop, badly broken leg bones (I have had knee surgery 2x and I think it comes from there) and I am thinking it will be suctioning trachs too cause it sounds yucky. I don't even change little kids diapers sooo not really sure how I will handle grown ups. I will just deal with it and put my big girl pants on, but I am still a little nervous. Vomit doesn't bother me too much. I think we will all get stronger stomachs eventually!
Btw.. I really wouldn't wear a mask. I wouldn't want to offend anyone. I was just trying to be funny :) I can handle some smells... Just not that diarrhea smell, mostly.
decembergrad2011, BSN, RN
1 Article; 464 Posts
By the way, my very first day on my very first job as a teenager got me over my vomit phobia. It was at McDonalds and I was working the lobby. My manager called me over and told me I needed to "attend" to the men's restroom. I thought I was going to die when I saw that what I needed to clean up was vomit that mostly consisted of a salad-looking substance in the urinal.
When I worked residential as a direct support professional, there was one resident who had MASSIVE bowel movements that routinely clogged up the toilet. One time no amount of plunging was working. I finally had to reach down there (with a glove, but still) and manually break up the turd so that it would go down. This was during my last semester of nursing school, so I was over poop at that point, but still. It was pretty gross.
Exposure, exposure, exposure!