What is the one thing that turns your stomach?

[FDW630]

Surely everyone has at least one thing that they can't handle. Maybe you can do blood and guts and poo, but the smell of pee gets you? What is the one thing that messes you up? Did you know going in to school that it was going to be your weakness, or were you surprised when you ran out of the room the first time?

Mine is ortho. I can take all the nursing smells and sights, but I will hit the floor if I hear bones crunching or grinding. I can see them, no problem. But the chiseling/grinding sounds of ortho surgeries...shudder! Even fake TV sounds get me.

[rubato, ASN, RN]

I haven't seen enough to know yet. I'm possibly spending the last 2 weeks of clinicals this semester in ortho, so could be interesting.

I did have a moment where I had to question myself. Brand new stoma that was in a weird place and looked kind of funny. I was fine at first until I really started looking at it. I got over it after a few minutes, but it surprised me that I had any issues with this.

[logank622]

I don't have much experience with more advanced settings, but for me, it's colostomy bags. That smell is like nothing else I've ever experienced, and it's a real struggle not to offend or embarrass the patient by reacting to it.

[PinkCupcake]

I can do poo, blood, stage 4 ulcer cleanings, among other not so pleasant things but I had a pt who has a HORRIBLE UTI. I swear you could taste the odor. It hung thick in the room. It was like I could feel the smell going into my lungs as I breathed. The smell was so bad you could smell it in the hallway! It was all I could do not to throw up Even my instructor hesitated going into the room with me lol.

[gummi bear]

G.I. bleed smell, dirty genitalia odor, and ostomy mush funk

[hodgieRN]

I can't handle poo. I've puked once at work. It was 6 months after graduating. I went into an empty room so I could remain somewhat professional, but it happened. My co-workers thought it was hilarious.

[Delilah11]

Vomiting and ostomy care. I absolutely can't stand hearing or seeing people who are about to, or are vomiting. And ostomy bags freak me out. Give me anything else, except a patient who is vomiting or has an ostomy bag and I am A-okay. :)

[mclennan, BSN, RN]

Lice, scabies, and other assorted vermin/critters freak me out. I worked in a homeless people's clinic for 4 years and saw days-old gunshot & stab wounds, drained baseball-sized MRSA boils, cleaned and dressed abscessed needle tracks without a flinch. But I never got used to the huge, "mature" lice that lived on many of my patients. Fleas too. And once I pulled a dead, ashen cockroach out of an old guy's ear, and nearly puked/fainted. He sure could hear better after that though.

[eatmysoxRN, ASN, RN]

I really don't like mucus. Like from trachs. I had a friend while I was in high school who had a bad wreck and I stayed overnight at the hospital frequently until his trach threw some bloody nasty mucus at me that landed on my face. Oh man was I sick. I don't really want any fluids on me. I hate when people seem to fear deodorant. And I have been tempted to bring bars of soap to hand out to family members.

[hodgieRN]

I can't handle long, nasty toenails.

[FDW630]

Lice, scabies, and other assorted vermin/critters freak me out. I worked in a homeless people's clinic for 4 years and saw days-old gunshot & stab wounds, drained baseball-sized MRSA boils, cleaned and dressed abscessed needle tracks without a flinch. But I never got used to the huge, "mature" lice that lived on many of my patients. Fleas too. And once I pulled a dead, ashen cockroach out of an old guy's ear, and nearly puked/fainted. He sure could hear better after that though.

Oh gosh. Gotta say, I haven't come across bugs yet. I did have a patient in my hall under lock and key for scabies a few weeks ago, but he wasnt mine so I didnt actually see. I stayed miles away from his room.

[BuckyBadgerRN, ASN, RN]

Eye injuries. *shudder*