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?
Specializes in Med nurse in med-surg., float, HH, and PDN.
I know, right?? I think my nose is broken, actually. I worked in a fish lab in college, and I got used to some really, really funky smells (rotting walleye insides!). I now have the ultimate poker face haha :)
It's helped me a lot with patients, especially the colostomy patients... they look at me expecting a reaction, and usually they're comforted that I don't cringe!
The girl I was teamed up with for med/surg clinicals had an awful habit of making awful faces....without even knowing it!She'd WINCE while she was giving a shot. I'd have to whisper, " M____, your FACE! ".... 'cause the instructor was always getting on her about it. She was even worse in L&D, the instructor said, "How'd you like to be delivering your very first child, and the first response you see, before you even see your new baby yourself, is the nurse going like ths:
I can pretty much deal with the nasty stuff and joke about it while eating but one night while adjusting the blood pressure cuff on this man, I had to get really close and my arm rubbed against the rail. I felt something cold and sticky but I had my hands occupied and I was using the light from the hallway so I wouldn't wake up the roommate. As I took the BP, I kept wondering what kind of surprise I was gonna find stuck on my arm. GREEN PHLEGM!!! I was 2 months pregnant! I threw up my dinner. You bet I turn on the lights now.
Without a doubt, sputum. Just saying the word brings a bit of bile up into the back of my throat. Not that I like the other things (like poo, pee, wounds, etc) .... however I would do any of those things in a heartbeat.... just do not ask me to look in someone's tissue (you know the one... the one that little old ladies keep balled up in their hand to continuously cough into) or a hankee (same as above, just the guys this time), and regardless of gender please do not ask me to suction anyone. If for some reason I have to do any of the above? Please do not be surprised afterwards when you see me sitting at the nurses station with my head between my knees taking some big breaths and doing everything I can not to throw up into the trash can resting just below my face.
There are gross things... and then there is my true kryptonite..... sputum.
Free range maggots in a necrotic wound...especially if I don't know about them before removing the dressing. I feel a little disturbed just thinking about it.
Hate to say it, but I have three things that totally gross me out: colostomy's (sorry, can't deal with them), maggots in wounds, severe facial trauma (knife in eyeball, 1/2 of face blown away). I will trade with another nurse for their kryptonite if they take mine. :barf01:
Specializes in Med nurse in med-surg., float, HH, and PDN.
Hate to say it, but I have three things that totally gross me out: colostomy's (sorry, can't deal with them), maggots in wounds, severe facial trauma (knife in eyeball, 1/2 of face blown away). I will trade with another nurse for their kryptonite if they take mine. :barf01:
DEAL! It's not a kryptonite, but I don't like doing male cathterizations; I am also hopelessly inept at venipuncture.
I used to do trade-offs when I worked HH, I'd take the trachs + ostomies,and my co-workers would do the things I didn't want to have to tackle.:yeah:Everybody was happy.
No Stars In My Eyes
5,619 Posts
The girl I was teamed up with for med/surg clinicals had an awful habit of making awful faces....without even knowing it!She'd WINCE while she was giving a shot. I'd have to whisper, " M____, your FACE! ".... 'cause the instructor was always getting on her about it. She was even worse in L&D, the instructor said, "How'd you like to be delivering your very first child, and the first response you see, before you even see your new baby yourself, is the nurse going like ths:
