What is your Nursing Kryptonite?

You know, your weakness ... your one "thing" that makes your stomach flip over when you see a patient with it/them/whatever. I had my first "maggot" patient recently (maggots living where they shouldn't be, you understand), and it really grossed many of my coworkers out. I was relieved to find that the maggots didn't bother me ... apparently my only Achilles heel thus far is nasty dentures, LOL -- EWWWWW.

When I was a tech, I had a nurse offer me $5 to suction a patient because sputum makes her queasy.

[haveachat]

An episiotomy makes a sound? I've had two -- how did I miss this?

It sure does. Can't really describe it though. Thank goodness for local anaesthesia, I heard it rather than felt it. :bby:

[Lunah, MSN, RN]

What about taking a Neonatal Advanced Life Support (NALS) class?

[MassED, BSN, RN]

how odd that I should find this thread right now. When it's needed. WEIRD.

My Kryptonite, which I just used this word last night! - is a newborn question of sepsis. Not comfortable - hate hate hate it. Give me a esophageal varices bleeding out.... anything else!

Any tips on gaining "comfort" in this area? Beyond working in a PICU - no thank you - how about courses specializing in newborn sepsis? I don't believe comfort ever will be in my vocabulary for a critically ill newborn, but any thoughts out there on gaining near to that?? Haa.

Thanks!

SOOOO just reading what others posted and you guys are posting gross/gag things - which my post is more about what weakens me, as in what scares me, but what grosses me out is some nasty lung butter. Or receiving a patient from a nursing home in a Depends that hasn't been addressed in days and has layers and layers of pads. Full of urine. That's some serious Ammonia hitting you.

Ewwwwwww......................

I did reply to this! I started a new thread on this topic a few days ago... hmmm... weird how the same thoughts are recurring!

[kaiasunshine]

I stood there with a basin as he hacked up blood clots

That literally just made me gag loudly.

*vomit*

[GHGoonette, BSN, RN]

A pt who had not bathed (or moved much) in Quite some time had a twinkie squished in her perineal area. I am pretty sure it had a prior home close by. I put it in a basin on her bed. I should have put it further out of her reach because while I searched for more misplaced snacks she started munching on it. I had to go get air.

Thmpr, that was SILLY of you...you really should have foreseen that...

[DeadHeadRN, BSN, RN]

Eyeballs. I HATE them!!! I can't even do an eyeflush without gagging. Something about those gelatinous, squishy globes makes me want to puke. I can take anything else, but eyeballs do me in. Limbs hanging off, guts falling out? No problems, bring it on! But please, keep your squishy eyeballs to yourself!!!

A close second: The time I put a foley in a little old lady and got pus out. Literally. Straight pus. Gelatinous, thick, white pus. UGH:barf02:

Maybe it's the gelatinous thing. I'm starting to see a pattern...

[smily nurse, BSN, RN]

Firstly, I LOVE to suction and do trach care..... that said, when I worked in th OR, and did an amputation, passing the leg off was it for me!!!!!

[Her Own Catalyst RN]

Inserting an NGT into someone who had/having fecal emesis!

[DeadHeadRN, BSN, RN]

Inserting an NGT into someone who had/having fecal emesis!

Ugh. So nasty. I actually put an NGT in a pt last night who hadn't had a BM in 12 days (HELLO?! 12 days???). I got out about 4 liters of stool in just under 30 minutes. :barf01:

[star77, MSN, RN]

Ugh. So nasty. I actually put an NGT in a pt last night who hadn't had a BM in 12 days (HELLO?! 12 days???). I got out about 4 liters of stool in just under 30 minutes. :barf01:

I just threw up a little bit in my mouth.

[Lunah, MSN, RN]

Man, I love this thread. :) LOL

[80sNurse]

favorite allnurses post ever, thanks!! will keep enjoying reading others' responses