What can you tolerate the least?

Nurses General Nursing

Published

I've heard that every nurse has their one thing that they don't like and grosses them out and they don't like dealing with. What is your one thing?

For me it would be vomit! I cannot stand vomit!

Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
Gingerbread, ginger cookies, etc. I cannot tolerate the smell of them after giving milk and molasses enemas in the ICU. Apparently, the combo makes for a great enema but once you smell it mixed with the poop of a woman who hasn't had a BM in two weeks....well, it's hard to enjoy gingerbread after that!

.

Ahh...milk and molasses enemas.

I still can eat gingerbread after giving one. ;)

Specializes in Med nurse in med-surg., float, HH, and PDN.

Just out of curiosity, what's the specifics that call for a milk-and-molasses enema?

Or Mae West's infamous coffee enemas, for that matter....?

Vomit, of any kind, and emptying a colostomy bag...UGH!!! The worst!!!

Specializes in MCH,NICU,NNsy,Educ,Village Nursing.

Snot. Deep pressure sores. Rotten attitudes of people who are supposed to care for the sick and needy toward the sick and needy (ranks higher than the former, actually.) Amputation surgery (almost passed out during one.) Cleaning deep wounds. People coughing a very wet and productive cough then spitting the sputum out onto the ground (happens often where we live part time). Someone catching a booger with their finger & flinging said booger off of said finger into space (and, hoping it misses me). Tenacious mucus.

Scraping, cutting, breaking, drilling into bones. It makes my skin crawl just thinking of it. Already broken? No problem. But I will not be around for us messing with that. So, no surgeries where bone is involved and no IOs.

Specializes in ICU, psych, corrections.
Just out of curiosity, what's the specifics that call for a milk-and-molasses enema?

Or Mae West's infamous coffee enemas, for that matter....?

It's a mixture of one part molasses and one part milk. If you google it, you will find all kinds of info on them and even some from studies or well known universities/medical centers. I was horrified the first time a doc ordered it but after administering one and seeing how wonderfully it worked, I was convinced.

Specializes in ICU/ER.

80 year old female UTI smell....will light up the entire ER.

Specializes in LTC, CPR instructor, First aid instructor..

Self-seeking opportunists who want to grab your opportunity away from you.

Specializes in Infection Control, Med/Surg, LTC.
Ahh...milk and molasses enemas.

I still can eat gingerbread after giving one. ;)

You mean M&M enemas are still used? WOW, I remember the first one I gave - almost didn't make it out of the blast range in time!

As far as what I can't tolerate, the answer is odors, smells. Once that hits my nose, the gagging begins. Not cool in front of the patient. And I have a low tolerance to chewing tobacco spit and people who hock and spit on the floor.

Specializes in Emergency room, Neurosurgery ICU.

I can't stand vomit. By the time each of my 4 kids was 2, they knew where the bucket was... Give me suctioning, lancing of boils/abscesses, bring on the compound/open fractures, large gaping wounds needing sutures, burn debridement, decubs, maggots. Send me to the room with the oto-neuro flaps with leech therapy (I loved those, really I did!) Just keep me away from the puking patients, or you'll soon have 2 of us!

Specializes in LTC, CPR instructor, First aid instructor..

Demanding visitors.

Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.

Eyeballs and sputum. I used to hate ear wax but have come to terms with it and find it oddly satisfying to get a huge chunk of impacted wax.

A while back we went out to our favorite Mexican joint and my son and husband (I can't remember whose idea it was) got the brilliant idea to get their straws and suck the last bits of salsa out of the bottom of the bowl. It sounded EXACTLY like a trach being suctioned and I had to get up and walk away, told them, "I'm out. When y'all are done being gross come find me. I can't handle it." They thought I was crazy but clearly neither has suctioned a trach.

Lancing boils, now....THAT is some high-class entertainment. My favorite thing ever.

+ Add a Comment