Too squeamish to survive

[Laurmarkovich]

Hey everyone!

So I've wanted to be a nurse for some time. I knew I wanted to help people after helping care for my grandmother when she was at end of life stage with cancer.

That being said, I am completely terrified that I am too squeamish to handle it. I've been told I'll get used to it, to try to desensitize myself, to find an area of work that will fit my needs, etc. The problem is, I've seen plenty of icky stuff and still get weak in the knees. As much as I would love to go into a department that would suit my needs, I know it's just not that simple. I can't fathom being in the middle of a shift and seeing something awful and getting woozy.

Blood isn't that awful to me, I think I could handle OR-type environment. Bodily functions, sure, not the greatest but still doable. What really gets me is wounds. Infected, rotting, pus, general nastiness. I gag and feel violently faint with that kind of stuff. (Don't even get me started on the possibility of maggots)

How in the world am I going to survive being a nurse? Should I just throw in the towel and give my seat up to someone that can handle it? I know I'll be a good nurse, but I don't know if my squeamishness will be subdued enough for me to take this career path. HELP!

[MidLifeRN2012]

Just work in psych. A non medical unit. Or very little, mainly HTN and DM. No wounds on my floor. Worse thing you see is masturbation, nose picking or spitting.