It goes without saying that to be a nurse, you need to have (or quickly develop) a strong stomach. But even with a stomach of steel, nursing kryptonite can leave you nauseated and gagging, even if only on the inside.
I'm only starting clinicals next semester, so granted, I still have much to see... but thus far in my life, the thing that disgusts me the most is, oddly enough, tonsil stones! How can something so small be so repulsive?
I used to assist a lot of kids and adolescents with disabilities with their ADLs. I can stand their poop, pee, vomit, occasional blood and stuff shooting out of their trachs (which, oddly enough, I find very satisfying) but I have to fight the reflex to recoil when their cold, wet, thick drool lands on my bare skin.
The first and only time I saw a bone marrow aspiration, I got lightheaded.
The size of the needle, the brute strength the MD was putting into inserting it and the fact that the patient was awake, nervous and aware of the pressure despite the local... GAAH
Sputum from paeds patients is fine...suctioning doesn't bother me. The only time I remember that was sickening was when a kid with bronchiectasis and a trache...and behavioural problems...aimed at me and coughed :uhoh3:. Was glad I was masked, gowned and goggled!! Old men and sputum cups gross me out totally Listening to them hack and cough and then spit into a cup of sputum is just wrong
Oral care post extubation if the patient had crappy oral care while vented. The thick, nasty goobers and dried crap that can accumulate will take me down every time. Why don't my peers do oral care q4h like policy states? Ugh...that is for a different thread.
mine would have to be palliative patients with crusty mouths...
I wish my co-workers would take the time to do proper mouth care on our late stage palliatives, nothing gets to me more than when I start a shift and my pall's have that thick crust on their tongues/lips.. eww
A colleague's bad breath makes my blood boil personally. I can deal with all the other odors, but that almost makes me lose my temper. With everything on the market in today's world, there is no excuse for one's breath to smell like they just ate the "litter box surprise" for lunch.
I rolled in the floor laughing with tears streaming down my face at some of these posts. This has been entertaining to say the least.:roflmao:The responses, coupled with the little emotes are priceless!
:uhoh3:. Was glad I was masked, gowned and goggled!! Old men and sputum cups gross me out totally 
Listening to them hack and cough and then spit into a cup of sputum is just wrong 
Bortaz, MSN, RN
2,628 Posts
Deal!