What is your "thing" and how do you deal with it?

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One of my nursing instructors once told me that every nurse has their one "thing" that makes them completely gag and want to vomit??. Hers happened to be emptying colostomy bags. She dealt with it by using peppermint or lavender essential oils in her mask. I have discovered mine...sputum. I have been taking care of a gentleman who has quite a productive cough. Whenever he coughs he then has to spit out a large amount of sputum in a basin. I then obviously have to empty the basin rinse it out and give it back to him. His doctor asked for a sputum specimen to send to the lab. So this time he had to spit it into a cup and I had to put that into a specimen jar and send it to the lab. It took forever to get it into the specimen cup because it was super thick and stuck to the sides of the cup. Although I didn't throw up, I was gagging so hard, I peed a little ????. I can completely understand the need to get that out of the back of his throat because I have chronic post nasal drip myself - it's so gross. My question is how do you deal with your "thing" and what is it?

Specializes in SCRN.

IDK, it's all gross, learned to deal with it, nothing stands out right now.

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Specializes in Critical care.

I don't really have a thing, but I do enjoy trolling people who do. I have a co-worker who can't stand skin flakes, and we had one guy who looked like a snake molting his skin come in. Remember that scene in Austin Powers Goldmember? I peeled a good one off, and was pretending I was gonna eat it, when one of my buddies walked behind me and pushed my elbow so the damn thing almost went in my mouth!! I was laughing so hard I almost inhaled it. "Mmmmmm that's a keeper!"

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Specializes in Critical care.

I don't really have a thing, but I do enjoy trolling people who do. I have a co-worker who can't stand skin flakes, and we had one guy who looked like a snake molting his skin come in. Remember that scene in Austin Powers Goldmember? I peeled a good one off, and was pretending I was gonna eat it, when one of my buddies walked behind me and pushed my elbow so the damn thing almost went in my mouth!! I was laughing so hard I almost inhaled it. "Mmmmmm that's a keeper!"

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Specializes in Critical care.

I don't really have a thing, but I do enjoy trolling people who do. I have a co-worker who can't stand skin flakes, and we had one guy who looked like a snake molting his skin come in. Remember that scene in Austin Powers Goldmember? I peeled a good one off, and was pretending I was gonna eat it, when one of my buddies walked behind me and pushed my elbow so the damn thing almost went in my mouth!! I was laughing so hard I almost inhaled it. "Mmmmmm that's a keeper!"

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Critical care.

I don't really have a thing, but I do enjoy trolling people who do. I have a co-worker who can't stand skin flakes, and we had one guy who looked like a snake molting his skin come in. Remember that scene in Austin Powers Goldmember? I peeled a good one off, and was pretending I was gonna eat it, when one of my buddies walked behind me and pushed my elbow so the damn thing almost went in my mouth!! I was laughing so hard I almost inhaled it. "Mmmmmm that's a keeper!"

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Critical care.

I don't really have a thing, but I do enjoy trolling people who do. I have a co-worker who can't stand skin flakes, and we had one guy who looked like a snake molting his skin come in. Remember that scene in Austin Powers Goldmember? I peeled a good one off, and was pretending I was gonna eat it, when one of my buddies walked behind me and pushed my elbow so the damn thing almost went in my mouth!! I was laughing so hard I almost inhaled it. "Mmmmmm that's a keeper!"

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Critical care.

I don't really have a thing, but I do enjoy trolling people who do. I have a co-worker who can't stand skin flakes, and we had one guy who looked like a snake molting his skin come in. Remember that scene in Austin Powers Goldmember? I peeled a good one off, and was pretending I was gonna eat it, when one of my buddies walked behind me and pushed my elbow so the damn thing almost went in my mouth!! I was laughing so hard I almost inhaled it. "Mmmmmm that's a keeper!"

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Poop in any form......

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Specializes in Hospice Home Care and Inpatient.

Ostomies. Long funky discolored toenails- like werewolf toenails. I will beg and barter to get out of ostomy care, when I have to do it I have to take several steadying breaths before and after. As for those toenails- thankfully there is local nailcare group that will take care of those at affordable rate. I quietly promote them.

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Specializes in Dialysis.

Wretching/vomiting...ewwww. I can deal with anything else

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Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

Anything that stinks, but most particularly poop. I have a super sensitive nose. When I worked the floor I dealt with it by mouth breathing. Then the sight of it started to impact me too. It was no small part of my motivation to get my advanced degree! Blech.

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Specializes in Peds Critical Care, Dialysis, General.

UGH! Ostomies. I will do any other task for any coworker if they will take care of my ostomy patient. I gag at the thought. Just no.

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