What is that stench??

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I'm fairly new with the hospital, only 8 weeks in my first semester. I had to deal with an incontinent patient today.. And the smell of the room he was in, idk if it was from him making a mess all over his bed or what, but the smell will not get out of my head.. I sprayed myself with perfume, I tried to take a shower thinking that it was just on me from being in there, but it just won't go away.. Is this normal??! How can I make it go away! I'm so grossed out by this point from the smell...

Specializes in retired LTC.

Just FYI - I've known where a bowl of coffee grounds was put under the bed in a particularly stinky room. Some nasty wounds have odors that linger & linger & linger ...

Most of the time, I'm used to smells. But every now and then, a GI bleed out (either end) has the lingering odor that does it to me.

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Specializes in Progressive Care, Cardiology, Pulmonary, Stroke.

Big red chewing gum or cinnamon altoids :)

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I'll never forget the first upper GI bleed I had to deal with. Gross!! It stayed win me for a while. I keep a bottle of essential oils in my pocket now and will out a drop right under my nose.

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Thanks.

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Okay, thanks.

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Specializes in SNF, LTAC.

"My little guy is in diapers and the smell of urine or feces don't bother me (unless we're talking C-Diff - nothing in the world will ever make me be OK with the smell of C-Diff). "

THISSSSSS

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Specializes in Oncology/hematology.

You really will get used to it. When I started clinicals, I had never been a CNA before, so everything was very new to me. The smells were awful. Now that I'm a nurse, they are old hat, and I barely notice them.

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