The smell...

Nurses General Nursing

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I'm just starting out as a CNA, I just finished my first week of training. I'm going to school to be an LPN in the fall.

Today we went up on the floor for the first time, and I kind of had an anxiety attack. The smell kind of slapped me in the face, and my heart started racing and I felt sick. It took a while to get the feeling to go away, but it scared the heck out of me.

I'm fine with sight, I can handle people, I'm learning the material, but the smell gets me every time. Other's said I would get used to it, but I'm just so afraid I won't. And the thing is, I was only in the hall! What happens when I'm knee deep in, well you know.

Any advice? I'm not going to quit, even if I gagged every day. This is far too important to me. I'm just hoping for some encouraging words, and perhaps a trick or two!

Thanks so much

Marie

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Specializes in Float.

Hi Marie,

As a fellow gagger I feel your pain lol. I worried quite a bit about this all through nursing school. In school you have to do total patient care and I gagged on way more than one occasion.

Now I do think I'm use to it and I don't gag nearly as easily. It's just like when you are home all day and your trash might stink but you don't notice it, then you leave and come back home and when you open the door it knocks you down lol.

As far as tricks - some say vicks but I have major allergies so it gets my nose running even worse. I will pop in some strong gum or my newest... those super hot cinnamon disks. They are like $1 for a big bag at Walmart.

I have been known to don a mask in a really bad situation (changing really bad pressure sore dressing)

I think if you can just keep working through it you will see it as another task to hurry up and get done and think less about the smell. I will say this led me to stick with a floor with a lot of CNAs as opposed to like an ICU where I'd be more responsible for these tasks. I believe you said you will be a CNA and I think you will get use to it even more quickly. I swear our CNAs .. nothing seems to bother them.

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You will get used to it, but in the interrim, try to desensitize yourself by focusing on relaxing during your training periods. Soon you won't notice it as much.

It can be a little strange in the beginning, but there are a lot of new sights and situations you will be introduced to, hang in there and good luck!;)

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Specializes in Cardiac Telemetry, Emergency, SAFE.

I know this may sound simplistic, but I swear it works! Breathe through your mouth! It took me a while to master this without having to concentrate on it, but it helps soooo much. Also, if you happen to be wearing a mask, try and find some peppermint oil, or some benzoin adhesive swabs or vials and spread that on the front of the mask. I do this is the OR all the time, the smells we get in there..., I dont even want to think about...lol

:monkeydance:

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Specializes in Cardiac Care, ICU.

Trust me you will get used to it but in the mean time there are a few tricks. You can get a mask and put a few drops of mint oil in it (if you don't want to wear a mask, you can put a drop or two of the oil below your nostrils) or an alcohol wipe in it. If you are working w/ someone to clean a pt., try to be on the side where you're holding instead of on the side where you're wiping, it doesn't smell quite as bad. A fan blowing away from you helps to. Finally, if you gag, don't sweat it. Everybody gags once in awhile. Good luck.:D

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Specializes in School Nursing/Med-Surg/ICU.

its normal since you're just starting. i'm sure you'll get the hang of it as time goes on. goodluck.

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Specializes in ED, ICU, PACU.
I know this may sound simplistic, but I swear it works! Breathe through your mouth! It took me a while to master this without having to concentrate on it, but it helps soooo much. Also, if you happen to be wearing a mask, try and find some peppermint oil, or some benzoin adhesive swabs or vials and spread that on the front of the mask. I do this is the OR all the time, the smells we get in there..., I dont even want to think about...lol

:monkeydance:

:yeahthat: These are great suggestions and really do work. If you have a mask and forgot the peppermint oil, try some toothpaste in the mask. Use only a little or you'll make the same mistake I did in having the white all over the face when the mask is removed :imbar. If you don't have the mask but have the peppermint, a couple of small dabs under each nostril will get you through most putrid tasks. Also, for the general area, put some gauze into a bottle of peppermint oil, using it as a wick-does wonders for air freshening.

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Specializes in Psychiatric.

It's amazing the things you'll get used to...before I became a nurse I'd gag if I saw someone else gag LOL...Now it doesn't bother me in the least...good luck! All good suggestions on here!

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Specializes in Cardiac Care, ICU.
It's amazing the things you'll get used to...before I became a nurse I'd gag if I saw someone else gag LOL...Now it doesn't bother me in the least...good luck! All good suggestions on here!

I knew I was going to make it as a nurse the day of my final final exam. On the way home one of the nurses got a case of post-exam nerves and got out and threw up big time. The other three of us sat in the car eating Chistmas cookies and watching her toss hers.:lol2:

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I remember the first time I worked as an aide many years. An older aide was training me. We had to change a severe decubitus.

I thought I would never get over the smell. We didn't know about the vicks salve trick back then. We put on masks, tho.

Since then, I've seen alot of decubitus, but never one as bad as the first one I saw. And I still have trouble with the odor today.

I worked a part time job in a nursing a few years back, and we had an elderly man, who had had TB years ago. The TB had eaten a hole thru his lung all the way to the outside. I never had to actually see the wound, because I was medication nurse and the treatment nurse did the wound care. But the smell would knock me down when I came in the door. I mean to tell you, and I'm not trying to be mean about this, but the smell was like roadkill that had been laying on the road for 3 days in the middle of July.

It takes perseverance, and you eventually get to where you can deal with it.

Just remember that they are people and they deserve kindness and respect.

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Specializes in Nursing Home ,Dementia Care,Neurology..

If you have to hand sluice anything do it in cold water first because ,believe me,hot water intensifies the smell x10!!Same if you get the smell on your hands, wash them with cold water first and then hot water ,it gets rid of the smell.Handy if you are just about to go for your meal break!

Even experienced nurses lose it occasionally.I had one terminal res.who was purging and the smell just caught me,I couldn't stop gagging,I had to leave the room,do some deep breathing and then return,breathing through my mouth.

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I can relate! I am in RN school & have recently landed a job as a CNA. I've only been doing the CNA job for a few months, but when I first started I would smell "that smell" even when I was @ home & would always take a shower & put some perfume on to try & drown the smell, but I could always smell it (obviously a mental thing)!! Of course I still take a shower when I get home, but the smell doesn't bother me like it did & it really does get better ... you truly become immune to it! Hang in there

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