Tossing Your Cookies...

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As a pre-nursing student, one of my biggest fears of becoming a nurse (other than harming/killing a pt) is tossing my cookies or fainting on the job. I am not very squeamish at all, and can handle most things (vomit, feces, blood, etc), but I am still worried. :uhoh21: So...to all you nurses out there, what was that thing that activated your up-chuck reflex or caused you to pass out?:lol2:

Specializes in ICU/Critical Care.

I've seen many things, even a football-sized turd, I still haven't puked.

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Never vomitted or fainted while at work. I have a high tolerance for most things but what grosses me out the most is not an actual body fluid but the sound... You know when a patient has that wet phlegmy gurgling going on and they barely cough? I just want to scream at them to cough hard and get it out cause the sound of them breathing and talking around it grosses me out so bad... and it's right there... /shiver Most disgusting thing ever. I may not actually vomit but just thinking about it makes me want to!

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Specializes in LTC, Hospice, corrections, +.

after putting down a bedrail and pulling my hand away with a cold, green, lob of hack!

You actually made me gag with that one. blaahh.

Sputum for sure. I get queasy even doing DNA swabs in the mouth.

Emptying vomit = gag every time.

Dentures as well for me don't know why.

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I've seen many things, even a football-sized turd, I still haven't puked.

OOOOUUUUUUCCCCCCCHHHHHHH!!!!!

leslie

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Specializes in ICU.
OOOOUUUUUUCCCCCCCHHHHHHH!!!!!

leslie

Ouch indeed.

:lol2:

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

I have to say, without a doubt, the one thing that gags me is doing mouth care. I work with ventilator patients, and their mouths are nasty! Even with frequent mouth care, it's still yucky. Never hurled, but lots of gaging going on.

Other than that, I'm pretty good with poop, sputum, vomit, blood, nasty decubs, burns, you name it. Did almost lose it one day when I was working in ICU when dumping out a lower GI bleeder's bedpan right after I had eaten a bologna sandwich. Couldn't have bologna for quite some time after.....

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Specializes in LTC/Rehab,Med/Surg, OB/GYN, Ortho, Neuro.

This didn't make me "toss my cookies", but it definitely made me weak in the knees, saw spots before my eyes, and had to stand against a wall. Podiatrist came in to check on my diabetic pt w/ a pretty bad foot ulcer. I'm in the room assisting him while he's doing the dressing change. Now mind you, the pt has been in the hospital for a little over a week at this point. The doc goes, "Well, what do we have here?" and proceeds to pull out this thin wooden object (6-inch long skewer). Pt couldn't even remember the last time he ate off a skewer, yet alone when he could've stepped on it. That thing had traveled waaay up his foot, that the doc was digging around for all that he was worth trying to get it out. Just the thought of "omg, that's got to be some serious pain w/ as much pressure as he was using" and my pt is just sitting in the bed reading a magazine, oblivious to what was going on (one of the few instances I can think of neuropathy being a good thing). Doc stopped and asked me, "Jnrsmommy, do we need to get you a nurse?" Made me laugh and feel a little better, but my word.

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Specializes in LTC.

None of this stuff bothers me... in a human. However, if you take the poop, pee, puke, or whatever else and say it came from an animal... BLECH! I can't deal with it. And I love animals and have always had pets.

I have one of those dogs with problem anal sacs that have to be squeezed out at the vet unless I want him dragging his butt across the floor. The fluid that comes out of those things is so incredibly foul, I want to puke just thinking about it. I thought about learning how to do it myself, but I told my boyfriend I just CAN'T DO IT. He was like, "You go to work and wipe butts all day and you can't touch your dog's?"

Nope. Can't.

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Specializes in Nothing yet - Interested in the O.R..

It's amazing that this thread is still going strong! :smiley_aa Thank you to all giving stories and info - I really appreciate it! When I become a nurse, I am sure that I will have plenty of stories as well! Thanks for preparing me for the things that will come my way!:omy:

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it totally depends on the sputum whether or not it bothers me... i usually have to talk myself down from that cookie ledge, other bodily fluids don't tend to bother me (it all washes off is what i figure :) raising 4 boys helps with that one i think) --- but something about a spinal tap just makes the room spiiiin!! crazy!

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Specializes in Urology/Telemetry, Ortho.

Open boils, pus, and crusted zits that are infected and get popped by the doctor or nurse to prevent further infection. All of these things have a ridiculous amount of pus!!! Kind of a catch-22 with the zit popping... I'd take blood over pus ANY day...

Advice: if a room smells bad, walk and move around as much as you can. Bad idea to stay in one place. You WILL become lightheaded and hot, and see a flash of bright lights that eventually fade fast...

Funny, I get offered cookies when I'm lightheaded and then I'm fine. Chalk it up to not eating enough when in a hurry some mornings to get to practicum.

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Specializes in Psychiatric.

Sputum does it for me too...I can handle ANYTHING else...wounds, poo, urine, severed fingers, (lol)...but if someone hocks up a loogie, I am GONE!:D

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