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.

Not much in life bothers me but when turd-matter has crustified between the ball-sack of an old man for weeks on end it can be pretty rough. Especially if your the first to lift the flood-gate and the roaring river of analscrotum comes rushing to your nostrils.

First time that happened to me I visualized Lex Luthor stabbing me in the ribs with that crystal of kryptonite on super man returns (otherwise that movie sucked)

And the second time?

Specializes in Pediatric Critical Care.

When optho comes to examine a baby for retinal hemmorhages and then stick that metal retractor IN THEIR EYE. UNSEDATED. Just no!

Pressure ulcers. Particularly those within range of getting poop in them.

That 1/4" flap of skin separating the Stage 4 from the rectum...

lol i hate working with rehab pt they are evil

The smell of C diff. makes me wanna for the hills. I'm OK with ostomies and trachs, but skin snow and pressure ulcers...yikes. I just smile through it and get it done.

If you smile it gets in your teeth.

If you smile it gets in your teeth.

Bwhahaha so true

LICE:no:.....I just can't it is almost like a phobia. When I worked medical I would offer to clean up incontinent CDIFF all night over dealing with a patient with lice. I'm so scared of taking it home to my kids one of whom has think curly hair and is 5 and doesn't like her combed anyways. We have 2 right now I begged for someone to take her. I bought lice repellant spray and tea tree oil. Im not kidding, PHOBIA

:wideyed: Lice can't jump! (Go hang out with the school nurses for awhile). ;)

Specializes in Surgery Vascular/Endovascular/Trauma.
When you speak of trachs with identifiable suction goop, I think of colostomies with easily identified dinner contents. Esp if it is 'problem' colostomy, like one that has blown out or is in one of those difficult abdominal folds.

Toenails that curl over & under. I call them '911 toenails'. I also find those ridiculously long fingernails the grossest. They look like claws on crabs/shellfish. And not to be nasty, but how do they manage hygiene when they go to the bathroom??

But can't you just hear the clickety-clack as they walk on the bathroom floor?

Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.
Eating stool bothers you? Hmm. I would think that would bother all of us!

But fecal transplants work, right? Ugh.

Specializes in Pediatric Critical Care.
I work in Endoscopy and had a patient with a foreign body obstruction, so he couldn't swallow his secretions. Consequently, he had a bowl of saliva that he had spit out with dissolved tissues in it. When we took him back for the procedure to remove the FB, I had to empty the bowl in the toilet. The sight of it caused a deep retching and brought tears to my eyes. Awful.

Nope, that whole bowl goes in the trash. It's done. No.

Specializes in Pediatric Critical Care.
Spit fistulas! Yuck

What is a spit fistula!??

Pus. Gimme anything else, but I can't handle pus. Instant gag every time.

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