Published Feb 17, 2011
I don't know if this has been posted before, but what grosses you out as a nurse?
For me it's blood clots. Especially from a delivery with a large EBL. The blood sits in the placenta pan and congeals. Bleh. Shudder.
waldo_1984
33 Posts
I have to say leaching...
I worked on a head and neck unit where we used this therapy frequently following surgery, it was awful!
cathrn64
115 Posts
sputum has always grossed me out! Vomiting too!
CCL RN, RN
557 Posts
One time, I suctioned this lady who was a mouth breather. She had low sats... I had to do aggressive suctioning, and I pulled out the entire inner layer if her mouth! I totally gagged as it was really big! Bleh! Bloody, clotty too!
The crap I find in intubate pts' beard...
When I pull back a pannis to prep for cath and there is some sort of 'paste'!??!?!?
Meth mouth... ESPECIALLY if they are breathing morning breath as I am attempting an IV.
I found a whole slew of meds in BM once...I had to rinse them & use my iphone app (epocrates, totally recommend) to identify them...
Forever Sunshine, ASN, RN
1,261 Posts
Everything toenails. I can't stand toenails. I double glove for treatments involving the feet.
franciscangypsy
187 Posts
Vomiting and sputum! GLURG!
Also chewing tobacco. That stuff is GROSS! (Yes, I've had pts spitting their tobacco juice in a cup at their bedside. GAG!)
lpn-ny
14 Posts
When I have to change patients clothes and all their dead skin flakes go floating around me. I usually hold my breath. All ostomy's. Bad breath, B.O., and the smell that hair gets when they don't shower.
Jenni811, RN
1,032 Posts
I was helping do a bed bath on a bariatric patient. I'm not trying to be judgmental when i say this, but trying to give you a picture... the largest lady i've ever seen in person!! Well, we noticed some skin breakdown under her porifice, so we were just going to put some viva in there and inform doctor when he came up. So as we were cleaning her porifice out, i pulled out a half eaten CHICKEN WING! no joke. It was obviously rotten and been sitting there for a while, it ulcerated and was infected around this chicken wing.
Ick....im sorry! but just ick.
BCgradnurse, MSN, RN, NP
1,678 Posts
Sputum...hands down. I worked as a laboratory tech for many years before entering nursing, and can handle the most disgusting things a human body can produce, but sputum gets me every time!!
canesdukegirl, BSN, RN
1 Article; 2,543 Posts
Something about prepping nasty feet for surgery is just too much for me to bear. I nearly gag.
lvnibclc
121 Posts
I think the wost thing for me, and its going to sound silly, but ear washes! I HATE ear washes! We do them alot in Peds and luckily theres another girl who likes them, so she does them if shes on the same shift as I am..
Oh and burns! I HATE burns!!
Maggots in wounds gross me out. I do wish we would use the medical grade ones when the wound is bad enough, those at least are contained and there on purpose. When the pt comes in with maggots though that is just yuck. (It's only happened a handful of times thankfully.)
LOL! Love the maggots that you don't expect to find in a wound! YUCK!! Thats happened to me a few time too!
msjellybean
277 Posts
Sputum is my number one. Just thinking about it right now is making me dry heave. Bowel obstruction emesis & feet that are dry & flaky and send a shower of dead skin into the air when you remove socks.
Sue Damonas, BSN
229 Posts
I hate feet and anything gyne related