What Freaks You Out?

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Dec 9, 2002

I can handle the nastiest Stage IV decub, vomit, suctioning, etc., but anything to do with the mouth or teeth.....eeeeeeeewwwwwwww!! I'm also not crazy about eye stuff....used to have to take this one resident's glass eye out every night and clean it. Almost gagged every time, too. But I think the absolutely grossest thing I've ever had to deal with was this poor man who'd had cancer surgery, and was left with this cavity where his left cheek had been. I mean, you could see all the way inside his skull. Which meant we had to keep the cavity moist by swabbing it with normal saline every 2 hours. I still get the willies just thinking about it. YUCK.

Jvilleredhead · Dec 10, 2002

I'm kinda like Jenny...I can handle most anything I've seen, talk about the grossest things during dinner, etc., but when my cat yucks up something....gags and dry heaves all the way!! :)

imn2nursing · Dec 14, 2002

O.K. I can think of lots of gross me out things. C-Diff is a biggie, but, I had a pt. that had a GI obstruction and had NG tube down but she started vomitting feces, right around her NG tube into the floor. She was sitting on the side of the bed and told me she was just "so" nauseous". I was standing in front of her, just finishing giving her some phenergan. I was patting her back and gagging at the same time. I apologized to her. She was soooo nice, and I felt so bad and I eventually after a few min. ran to her bathroom and lost it. I just felt bad for her. I just couldn't imagine throwing "that" up.ewwwwwwwwwwwwwww.

NurseShell · Dec 14, 2002

I'm still in school, but I have to totally agree with the sputum, mucus thing - ick! I can't even watch my husband spit when he brushes his teeth!! Ostomy bag contents aren't much fun either! I'm sure as I progress in my career my experiences will hone down my "disgusts"...I cringe everytime our textbook says "describe x, y, z and odor" for whatever topic we are studying - ewwwww! Anything but smell!!!! ugh!

BBFRN, BSN, PhD · Dec 14, 2002

I can handle anything visual (unless something is crawling around in it). It's the smells that get to me. Anything with Pseudomonas makes me gag, and a couple of times someone has placed Mucomyst in an open container in the med room, and I almost lost my lunch.

coowip · Apr 17, 2003

I THINK THE BIGGEST THING THAT GROSSES ME OUT IS POO! I DON'T CARE IF IT IS SOLID OR NOT. THE SMELL JUST HAFTING TO DEAL WITH IT GROSSES ME OUT.

JazzyRN · Apr 25, 2003

#3 as everyone said flying sputum when suctioning a trach ( i caught it on the face one day and was thoroughly disgusted)

#2 GI bleed stinky stools, I hate having to do FOBs on them, i get oh so nauseous smelling the stuff

#1 has to go to mrsa infected stage 4 ulcers, no smell quite like it, i know there's mrsa in the wound when i start gagging during a dressing change

JazzyRN · Apr 25, 2003

#3 as everyone said flying sputum when suctioning a trach ( i caught it on the face one day and was thoroughly disgusted)

#2 GI bleed stinky stools, I hate having to do FOBs on them, i get oh so nauseous smelling the stuff

#1 has to go to mrsa infected stage 4 ulcers, no smell quite like it, i know there's mrsa in the wound when i start gagging during a dressing change

ShelleyERgirl, LPN · Apr 25, 2003

Originally posted by Rex
lets see I do fine with just about what ever is thrown at me with excetion of those nasty gag reflexing luggies that dont come out. But once in our small town ER we had this farmers wife come in with an unable to void problem she was nasty hadnt bathed in years senerio I was working with an agency RN (this was back when I was a Tech) when we went to cath her we found chicken feathers the nurse lost it. and I was traumatized for ever. ewwwyyaaaak

:rotfl: :rotfl: :roll :roll

....Hilarious! I hate big,green, chunky earwax. I had a patient eat his in front of me once. Still can't look at q-tips.

ShelleyERgirl, LPN · Apr 25, 2003

Originally posted by Rex
lets see I do fine with just about what ever is thrown at me with excetion of those nasty gag reflexing luggies that dont come out. But once in our small town ER we had this farmers wife come in with an unable to void problem she was nasty hadnt bathed in years senerio I was working with an agency RN (this was back when I was a Tech) when we went to cath her we found chicken feathers the nurse lost it. and I was traumatized for ever. ewwwyyaaaak

:rotfl: :rotfl: :roll :roll

....Hilarious! I hate big,green, chunky earwax. I had a patient eat his in front of me once. Still can't look at q-tips.

clhsunfire · Apr 25, 2003

Let's see. What freaks me out.....Well, I work as a home health aide with a patient that has a trach, so sputum doesn't bother me in the least. Poop, no biggy-it's just natural. Vomit, also natural. Well to get to the bottom of it: I had a liver and a kidney transplant and a colectomy, so I pretty much experienced it all myslef without being a nurse. I had the JP drains (3 at once), the NG tubes, the central lines, the foleys, six IV;s at once, over 100 staples in 3 surgeries. Hmmmmmmm, did I forget anything? Oh yes I've had quite a few liver biopsies and colonoscopies before. Drank that nasty golightly too. So, I;'ve seen it , felt it, smelt it, and dealt it.

clhsunfire · Apr 25, 2003

Let's see. What freaks me out.....Well, I work as a home health aide with a patient that has a trach, so sputum doesn't bother me in the least. Poop, no biggy-it's just natural. Vomit, also natural. Well to get to the bottom of it: I had a liver and a kidney transplant and a colectomy, so I pretty much experienced it all myslef without being a nurse. I had the JP drains (3 at once), the NG tubes, the central lines, the foleys, six IV;s at once, over 100 staples in 3 surgeries. Hmmmmmmm, did I forget anything? Oh yes I've had quite a few liver biopsies and colonoscopies before. Drank that nasty golightly too. So, I;'ve seen it , felt it, smelt it, and dealt it.