Weak Stomach

jessjoy · May 13, 2003

I think you can learn to live with all the things you see and have to do. Before nursing school I'd hadn't been in a hospital since I was born. Needless to see some things "grossed me out" The first time I saw a stoma I actually passed out (my classmates never let me live that one down) I just continued to watch procedures and get as involved as I could and now hardly anything phases me. You'll get used to it!!

maire, ASN, RN · May 14, 2003

LOL Well I was the geek that when offered the chance to suction a patient stood up tall and said "Oh heck yeah, I'll do it!" -- meanwhile the rest of the class was edging out the door saying "Oh GROSS!":p

NurseStacey143, ADN, RN · May 14, 2003

Blood and guts dont bother me at all and never have. However, "Snot" makes me gag. Suctioning a traech or gathering a specimin with it is about the one thing I have not gotten used to. MAkes me ill thinking about it! But of course, I do it and go and make the sick face in private!

fnimat1 · May 14, 2003

Nicky,

LOL...sometimes I find myself thinking the same things....how will I do during clinicals...will I pass out...I hope not...lol. Don't worry I'm sure you'll do fine. What part of N.J. are you from?

Fatima

TristateRN · May 14, 2003

Thanks Guys, now I won't feel to bad if I get queasy or pass out! I'm sure I'll be able to handle it.

Fatima, I live in Central Jersey. What about you?

Alie · May 17, 2003

I don't really think I have a weak stomach. But diarrhea pooled in the bed made me gag. It was only the smell that bothered me. I was helping a fellow student and she saw the look on my face and said "go". If pt was able to understand what was going on I don't think she would have known.

Has anyont tried the Vicks under the nose?

I wonder if is okay to where a mask while you clean up a gigantic mess? I was to embarresed to ask my clinical instructor.:)

RN2007 · May 17, 2003

Gosh, if nothing else, it seems that in some of these clinicals, these really gross things might really do a number on my appetite, and hey - I might lose a few lbs, lol... I do not think I could be a Respiratory therapist because they are constantly suctioning up horrible looking and the worst smelling stuff!!! But, when I was in the hopsital and worked in ER I saw some really gross stuff but it did not affect me that much.

NICU_Nurse, BSN, RN · May 17, 2003

I was worried about that before school as well, so you're definitely not alone! I was always the one who thought bodily functions, blood, guts, organs, etc. were "cool", possibly because my mom was a nurse and I heard her talking about it all the time. However, talking and seeing or touching (or smelling- ew!) are two completely different birds, you know? I actally tried to de-sensitize myself before school, hoping that that would work (and it seemed to!). I watched TLC ALL the time, looking mainly at the surgeries they showed on there, with the exposed body cavities and all the blood, thinking if I saw it enough I wouldn't be as shocked in person. It must have worked, because I wasn't bothered in the least by things that bothered some of my other classmates- all the pus and gore and drainage and even the mucous was still pretty "cool" to me- I was fascinated by it and still am. The thing that got me was the smell. I mistakenly walked in on my first day in the nursing home to clean up a man covered head to toe in diarrhea, and the smell hit me like a wave of stink as soon as I turned him over. OMGosh, it was horrible. I gagged and retched my way through that and never breathed through my nose again!! The mucous- ahhhh, that's my favorite. I love getting those big gobs of mucous out when I'm suctioning....thhhhwwwwwwwwwwwick! I guess I've always rationalized it this way: It's clogging something up, blocking an air passage, whatever...the patient needs it done (don't you feel better after you cough up some phlegmy gob or blow your nose?), it's my job to do it, I'm helping them, they usually appreciate it (even though they may fight you, no one likes to breathe through a blocked passage, whether it's a nostril or a throat or a trach), and it's instant gratification. You suck, it comes out, voila! The thing that shocked me more than seeing it was...well, for instance, I had a woman who had a TAH and had gotten abscesses and developed huge, tunneling fistulas in her abdomen. We had to do the dressing change (this was my last semester in school) and it took about 2 hours with three people!! This was in the ICU. Myself, my nurse, and the instructor worked our butts off, and when the dressing had been cleaned, it was my job to re-pack it with gauze and such. I had my entire hands, up to both wrists, in her abdomen while she was sitting there talking to me (she was in pain, but was very good at controlling it mentally). I felt like I was operating! Very heady experience. Well, mid-dressing, the intestinal fistula opened and drained a HUGE amount of chocolate colored, pure liquid (thick...think melted milkshake) stool all over my hands. I jumped- literally!! how embarrassing!- because of all things, I didn't expect it to be so warm... for a full five seconds, I didn't know what had happened! I was SO embarrassed, but hey, what can I say? Never done it before. I thought I could handle it all, then when it touched my hands, I momentarily forgot I was wearing gloves because it was so warm it felt like it was on my skin. So that kind of thing was about the only thing that freaked me out.

On a side note, one of the things I did to prepare myself for seeing a dead body (because I was sure this was going to happen) was look for autopsy photos on the internet. This DEFINITELY helped to desensitize me. I'd never seen a dead person before, and was afraid I'd start crying, or pass out, or do something "bad", so I was determined to remain calm and conscious! I must have looked at hundreds of photos, studied them actually, and at first they were gross and turned my stomach, but now after the first cringe, I am still amazed at what I'm seeing. Don't you know, though, that I never did see a dead person in nursing school? It wasn't until I was an actual nurse working on our NICU that I saw my first dead body- a baby who didn't make it. I honestly think that because I knew what to expect I was able to react calmly to that happening. Still very sad, went home and cried a bit, but it helped me maintain my professionalism long enough to wrap the baby and bring her down to the morgue. So there's my 50 cents. I'd say 2 cents, but this turned out longer than I anticipated! Sorry about that.

Kristi

inodou · May 18, 2003

I am a EMT-B so I have dealt with it all at one time or another in the field. I can handle blood and guts with no problem, seen more dead bodies then I care to think about. The only thing that makes me queasy is if I hear and smell puke. I have found that if I have some strong mints like tictac or something it keeps me from puking (the smell and taste override the bad stuff) and it also helps my breath. :chuckle

straba · May 19, 2003

Your fistula story was awesome!! I can only imagine how you must have felt! I'm not sure what to expect from my clinicals, but I'm sure I'll have a "gross" story or two by the time i'm done!

tattooednursie, LVN · May 19, 2003

Kristi, I was just eating chocolate ice cream. I just about wreched!!!.

Ha ha ha. It was so gross it was almost funny. Mmmm warm and goey, just like warm apple pie huh. I would have passed out, or puked. You have guts girl!

" I had my entire hands, up to both wrists, in her abdomen while she was sitting there talking to me "

*gets chills*

Oh yeah, the dead body thing. I never thought I would get used to that either. My first 3 deaths made me cry, and made me not want to come back to work the next day. I saw the bodies and everything. They gave me nightmares for weeks. Then I began notecing(sp?) on the fourth death, (of one who struggled for every breath), she looked so peaceful! I didn't cry, I smiled because I was happy for her, and she was in a much better place. I do remember getting a little teary-eyed, but it was because I was happy for her, not because I was afraid of being in the same room with a dead body, not because I was sad, not because I didn't feel like I did enough for her. She was beginning a new journey, one where she could walk, breath, talk, and maybe even fly.

Nurse Pickles · May 20, 2003

I'm just starting my program in September and I was really worried about feeling faint or sick (okay, I'm STILL worried) but it is a total RELIEF to know that I won't be the only one! Anyone have any good tips on how to combat possible faintness? I just know I'll turn green when I have to stick someone for the first time....