Were you scared of needles or blood?

IRN · Jul 25, 2005

The day I graduated nursing school (5 years ago), I remember turning to my family and asking them if they could believe that I was going to be a nurse!

We all vividly remember me as the one who repeatedly locked herself in closets so as not to have to go to the doctor.

Then there is the time that I got hives all over my body and fought the ER staff because they promised there would be "no needles". Needless to say when the staff came back to give me a shot...I jumped off the stretcher and took off running. They cornered me and I kicked and punched the staff and screamed until I was hoorifice...(they won).

My mother will never forget the dentist visit where I came out of the office hurridly and asked to borow the keys to her car. She gave them to me and I ran out and locked myself in the car. (I couldn't drive myself home yet, because I wasn't old enough to get a license). I still remember the look on my mothers face when she came out to the car. :angryfire

I could keep going...but I think you get the point.

What helped me to get over my fear of "all things medical" was working at an animal hospital. There I found that I actually enjoyed being a nurse for the animals...one thing lead to another and I now here I am working with people as patients (although sometimes I still prefer the animals) :)

It just goes to show you that anything is possible, and you never know where life will take you or what will happen. If you really want to do something, you can make it work. I wish you luck in your adventures!

danu3 · Jul 25, 2005

Try "I always faint when I see a syringe! - Nurse Student Tales" by Florence Hardesty RN, PhD.

-Dan

justrose79 · Jul 25, 2005

The day I graduated nursing school (5 years ago), I remember turning to my family and asking them if they could believe that I was going to be a nurse!
We all vividly remember me as the one who repeatedly locked herself in closets so as not to have to go to the doctor.
Then there is the time that I got hives all over my body and fought the ER staff because they promised there would be "no needles". Needless to say when the staff came back to give me a shot...I jumped off the stretcher and took off running. They cornered me and I kicked and punched the staff and screamed until I was hoorifice...(they won).
My mother will never forget the dentist visit where I came out of the office hurridly and asked to borow the keys to her car. She gave them to me and I ran out and locked myself in the car. (I couldn't drive myself home yet, because I wasn't old enough to get a license). I still remember the look on my mothers face when she came out to the car. :angryfire
I could keep going...but I think you get the point.
What helped me to get over my fear of "all things medical" was working at an animal hospital. There I found that I actually enjoyed being a nurse for the animals...one thing lead to another and I now here I am working with people as patients (although sometimes I still prefer the animals) :)
It just goes to show you that anything is possible, and you never know where life will take you or what will happen. If you really want to do something, you can make it work. I wish you luck in your adventures!

Thanks for your input... I know exactly what you went through as the same things happened to me. That's what worries me.

talaxandra · Jul 26, 2005

Hi Rose - welcome to allnurses :)

I've never had an issue with blood, needles etc, but I've worked with people who do/did. The first thing I'd say is that it's different when it's not your blood, and you're not at the receiving end of the needle. The second thing is that there's good news if you've got something more than general concern - blood phobias (along with animal phobias) are the most easily treated, usually in one session.

Good luck.

allnurses Guide · Jul 26, 2005

Needles and blood didn't bother me. Hurting people did - to start an IV was very scary for me. I get dizzy if I hurt people. But my first IV start was in the ER on a young girl with fat veins and I got right in and she wasn't afraid of needles.

The other hurdle for me was dead bodies - I couldn't even go to my step-father's funeral. But after the first one, where I was taught post-mortem care by an awesome CNA, I consider it a priviledge to care for people after they pass on.

It is amazing what you will do . . .. I even remember being afraid to take a blood pressure or hang an IV bag.

Why not try shadowing a nurse or maybe going to work with your mom?

steph

onesmallspark · Jul 26, 2005

Oh my gosh - that is my concern exactly! I really want to help people (especially kids) but I have issues with needles and "inserting" things into people. I don't know if I can get around it, but I would give anything to be able to.

student4ever · Jul 26, 2005

Oh my gosh - that is my concern exactly! I really want to help people (especially kids) but I have issues with needles and "inserting" things into people. I don't know if I can get around it, but I would give anything to be able to.

I dreamed of being a nurse as a child, but shied away from the career when I graduated highschool becuase I got squeamish (sp?) around blood and pain and puking and such. However, I loved the medical field, so I took a job in registration. One day I was standing in a patient's room getting insurance info, and she just started puking everywhere, and it smelled awful. I suddenly realized that if the blood/puke/poop isn't mine, it doesn't bother me so much. So I'm currently working towards my nursing degree while getting experience working as an ER patient care tech. I've found that even though I HATE hurting my patients by drawing blood, inserting catheters, etc. I would rather have them be MY patient and know that I can do things in a compassionate way and try to minimize the pain while trying to lift their spirits and take their minds of the scary/painful things happening to them. It's really all in your mindset. I still gag when patients with COPD are coughing up their nasty phlegm, but it's something that needs to be done, and so I do it. I think most of the time if the desire to help is strong enough, it will make the yucky/squeamish parts ok. Also, check out the thread on "what squicks you out?" You're not alone... there are a lot of nurses who even after years of practice have things that make them go YUCK!!

pineapplestar · Mar 1, 2006

Hi,

Im not scared of them just i cannot help myself from fainting around blood,any tips to help?,lv pineapplestar x

fotografe · Mar 1, 2006

Make sure you are hydrated (a bottle of gatorade before you go into a situation where there is blood is a good idea), you have eaten an adequate meal (not a huge one) and you have rest. Then you have to repeatedly expose yourself to the situation that scares you until you are desensitized. Google "Vaso-Vagal response" and you wiil get a lot of good information on the physiology of what happens when you start getting "woozy" from something. Understanding that helped me with my hypodermic fears. If you start getting that feeling, get out of the room, drink some juice then some water, get your head down, and when you are steady again go back in. You just have to keep doing it. You will get used to whatever ails you.

Hi,
Im not scared of them just i cannot help myself from fainting around blood,any tips to help?,lv pineapplestar x

NurseEcho · Mar 1, 2006

When I was in high school, I was interested in nursing, so I volunteered at at blood drive. Walked into the room, saw several people lying there with bags of blood coming out their arm, and dropped like a rock.

The first time I observed a procedure in the cath lab, the doc hit the artery and blood squirted everywhere. Down I went again.

And yes, at my graduation party, my family was still laughing in disbelief that *I* was going to work in a hospital.

I've now worked in health care for 13 years, (10 in ultrasound, three in nursing.) I'm in CCU now; you wanna talka bout lines and needles and huge incisions and blood! The *only* time I've ever needed to "leave the room" was a night I (stupidly) came to work when I'd had a stomach bug and hadn't had anything to eat or drink for two days. Having a BG of 54 can do that :smackingf

It really is a mental thing, IMO -- I just decided either my goals or my fears were going to determine my direction in life, and I am too stinkin' stubborn to let the latter win! I've just learned to mentally detach myself from the fear and focus on the technical skills involved in the procedure and its ultimate benefit to the patient. It really does get easier, too.

I think a lot of what nurses say and do in private would seem awfully irreverent to a lay person, but we deal with a lot and we develop coping mechanisms to cope with all sorts of fears we bring with us as humans. What's key is to be always mindful of one's "nursing face" when dealing with patients, families, and the grave situations we find ourselves in.

You may not get over your fears overnight, but practice, practice ... learn what works for you ... no one is born a nurse ... you may have your moments especially in nursing school but that is part of the education. You won't be the first, and it will get better.

Oh, and I *still* have to lie down and look away when I am having blood drawn. Haven't gotten past being on the business end of the needle :uhoh3:

tes85 · Mar 2, 2006

I have the same fear... I am petrified of getting a shot... I'm only in my first year of nursing school but everyone I've talked to says you quickly get over the fear... I had my first experience with blood on my first nurses work experience when I visited the obstetrics ward and the 2 patients I was dealing with had just had c-sections with complications, there was alot of blood and I thought that I wouldn't be able to handle it but I was fine, I think it was because it wasn't my blood or even my pain it was someone elses (it's kinda mean to think that way, but it's the only way I think I got through it)