What can you tolerate the least?

[Infofreak411]

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!

[danggirl16]

Deforming facial trauma, anything about eyeballs, and filthy dentures. I've passed out once and puked once. The pass out was while a lady was getting prepped for a cataract surgery. As soon as the needle touched her lower eyelid, I hit the floor! The other: an elderly woman came in for whatever reason and I had to remove her dentures...Not only were they disgustingly filthy with caked on matter looking like it had built up over months, but worse there was a DEAD FLY under the top denture!!

[OwlieO.O]

I can deal with everything I've experienced so far. But the most gross thing I would say is excessive mucous. Someone with a bloody nose once spit a giant clot mingled with thick snot into their sink. I dry heaved once and then shut it off and continued assisting her. But dang, that was gross.

[Guttercat, ASN, RN]

This thread drives home the simple fact that we are all big, walking sacks of nasty. Just a mm or two is all that separates +/-150 lbs of goo from the outside world.

Think about that the next time you look in the mirror and say, "I'm so pretty." No, you're not. :)

[Guttercat, ASN, RN]

I love ICU RN's stories--like when one guy caught the worms crawling out of an ET tube. I'm almost sorry I missed that. Fascinating.

[amoLucia]

Maggots. Removing stitches or sutures, esp. Fresh incisions; even on TV that cutting of intact skin when they open up the surgical site makes me uncomfortable.

And 'fake' blood from a hanging unit. NO NO NO!!!!!! Yucky from the hanging bag. I can handle bleeding from a wound, from a phlebotomy stick, from suctioning, in a foley, even emesis, etc. But that 'fake' blood in a hanging bag just grosses me out! Weird, right!?

[amoLucia]

And has anyone found a digit (like a toe) when you removed a foot dressing? That one got to me too.

[mamagui]

Not only were they disgustingly filthy with caked on matter looking like it had built up over months, but worse there was a DEAD FLY under the top denture!!

O.M.G.

[Tina, RN]

Ear wax...

I am a school nurse, so I use my ear thermometer all the time. When there is a ton of gunk in an ear, the thermometer will "stick" in there. If it's really bad, sometimes the probe cover will get caught in it. I can tell when the probe cover is going to be caked with wax. I get so upset anticipating it! LOL

[mom2twins9909]

I can't handle vomit. Even on my kids.

I remember when I was working as a CNA. One of my residents started vomiting... EVERYWHERE. I was on the verge of puking myself. I had to get another CNA on the same hall as me to take care of it. I couldn't do it.

[SweetSouthernLove, ASN, BSN]

Honestly, bodily fluids of any kind never bothered me. It is adult patients whom choose to act like toddlers EVERY time I try and perform a medical procedure for the treatment that will impact their stay in the hospital. I had a patient who was C. Diff positive - colostomy and ileostomy who refused to let me drain either. She refused myself and another nurse, but only moved when she asked to get up to the BSC to try and toilet herself and even then was refusing even pain medication. She was more content to moan and sit on the BSC for twenty minutes than take her prescribed pain medication for relief. It is my job to provide you care and it literally tests my patience when I cannot perform properly.

[That Guy, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

Menstrual blood. I don't know why but it gets me. I can handle any other blood from any other source by the gallon. That though, no.

[ICURN3020]

I don't know why, because reading through all these disgusting stories makes me queasy, but I just keep coming back for more!!!

Interesting topic......it's fun to see all the things people post and you're like, "oh yeah, I forgot about that!".