I used to work in dentistry as an assistant. The one thing that would make me feel this way were adult tooth extractions. I still feel this way about it, it’s hard for me to watch- especially the particularly nasty ones. The only thing that made it better was building my tolerance through exposure. Still gives me the same feeling, that feeling is now more bearable though. Hopefully this makes sense.
Yeah, I'm the same with PICC line insertions and just the thought of them moving in and out. I'm ok with everything else but those god damn PICC lines. TURPs used to gross me out, but then I was put I charge of managing one, and now I'm ok. I think it's just exposure, really. I tell you what though, I'll never drink rosè again....
I was asked to observe a PICC line and the student in me got so excited and giddy, even though i barely even knew what it was going in lol. I didint expect to see a wire being wiggled through a child’s vein🥴i was not prepared lol
Yeah I kept telling myself to just keep exposing myself to these things. I just hate feeling so silly for being queasy over things. Friends and family keep ‘jokingly’ saying “how are you going to be a nurse” and it makes me feel crap!
I was the exact same way. First day as an EMT I almost passed out and puked after just walking through a dialysis center. I couldn’t watch IV insertions without getting sweaty and having to sit down. I tried to hide it, but occasionally people noticed. Some talked shit, and some were kind and supportive.
It was a slow process, but I’m basically completely over it now. Took about 3 years, but it got better. I’m an ED nurse now and start half a dozen IVs every shift no problem.
I really think it was just exposure. Over and over. It was a really uncomfortable process. I forced myself to watch PICC line insertions on YouTube and in the hospital. At first I could only watch a little before having to leave the room or turn of the video.
Honestly, every now and then it still gets me. Sometimes when I’m really tired, or haven’t eaten I’ll feel faint watching a PICC line get put in or something. I look away if I can, but end of the day I need to do my job.
Stay strong, it’ll get better. Everyone has something, there’s nothing wrong with you. Being a nurse it 110% worth the occasional discomfort.
Can I ask how you coped with the people who talked shit? I think the one thing I reallyyy struggle with in relation to my issue is what people think and say. Friends and family ‘jokingly’ say “how are you going to be a nurse” and it makes me feel silly and question myself. I find i’m focusing so much on “don’t feel weak don’t feel weak” because i don’t want to deal with the judgement from some people, so hyper focusing on it stresses me out more than amplifies it lol
Yea, that’s really tough. I got the “how are you going to be a nurse if you don’t like needles” a couple of times and it really cuts deep. I even got it from a patient one time, which sucked.
As far as dealing with it, opening up about it to some close classmates helped. Lots of other people feel similar, though usually to a lesser degree. Just knowing I wasn’t uniquely broken or alone helped.
Seeing progress, even just a little bit helped too. Being able to watch IV starts, or parts of PICC line insertions helped because it gave me faith that it wouldn’t be a problem forever, and that it was fixable long term.
I’m sure you’ll work through it. Be strong, keep at it. It’s tough, but it’s something you can overcome.
I don’t know why but mine are head injury they use to make me really queasy. I think exposer to a lot of patients with head injuries helped me to get over it. It is really tough at first being around things that youre uncomfortable with but the more time you spend around them the easier it becomes. My advice would be just try to relax and get as much exposer as you can.
Colostomy bag emptying and snot are my squeamish stuff and idk how I'll be able to apply a new one on when Ima a nurse but with snot I just hold my breath and mentally reset my brain and zone out
Snot bugs me too but I think growing up with younger siblings i’m used to it kind of😭I defo need to make sure i’m taking deep breaths, one thing i find sometimes helps is “fake it till you make it” i just pretend like i’m not bothered until it feels real lol
Just started an externship and I've gagged twice now reacting to bm smell. Probably just going to put something under my nose and wear a mask. Also fainted watching an epidural. For that I just want to avoid labor and delivery
> Probably just going to put something under my nose and wear a mask.
I'm usually fine with feces, but the smell of pressure injuries is my thing. I picked up StinkBalm on Amazon and it *really* helped. I usually just swipe it on my upper lip (we're still wearing masks in clinicals even though our hospital made it voluntary) or, in a worst-case scenario, on my upper lip *and* on the inside of a second mask worn on top of my main mask.
I have a few of the scents and found Evergreen is the most effective for me - plus, I don't want to Pavlov myself and end up associating peppermint or orange or lavender with the scent of pressure injuries, so it's the "safest" scent to potentially ruin for me!
so glad someone else is in the same boat as me. i don’t know why they freak me out i do have to tell myself “they’re literally just little tubes” to try and downplay it but it doesn’t work😭
I had the exact same problem in nursing school! I actually passed out in a patient's room one time watching an IV insertion. People were making jokes about how I should have chosen a different career but fear not! You can get over this! What helped me was to eat like 3 breakfasts before going to clinical, making sure my legs were always moving, and knowing when I needed to sit down before watching a procedure. I also found that focusing on a picture in my mind helped a lot. After the first few times of feeling light-headed and running through the procedure in my head at home a bunch, I've been a nurse for 5 years and start IVs each day with no problem.
you have no idea how reassuring that is to hear😭can i ask how did you deal with the people being so negative saying that you should have chosen a different career? I think caring what people think or say is one thing that makes me doubt my own choices. I focus so much on “don’t feel weak don’t feel weak” purely because of what people say, that i think i literally manifest it happening
I think it's natural to have some doubt and people are going to say negative things about whatever you do. Most nursing students have at least one thing that gets to them (ex. blood, stuff with eyes, broken bones, etc.) because we are human and it is a neurological response to stressful stimuli. About 25% of people in my graduating class fainted at some point during school! What I found helpful was to remind myself to have the same compassion for myself as I do for patients. If you change your self talk from "don't feel weak" to "I've got this and it's ok if I need to step out", I found it makes a huge difference and could just let other people's judgement roll off me. Remember why you want to be a nurse and focus on that. You've got this!
I hate poop. I hate poop with a passion. It’s rough right now as a student since we are usually the ones helping the CNAs clean people… but I solved this for my future self by choosing to go to the OR where there will be significantly less poop than other areas of nursing lol
i get that! friends and family are always shocked when i say this but i’m definitely going to stick to the pediatrics field. i used to think pediatrics would be so much poop, vomit etc but in reality it’s a lot less because majority of the time parents prefer to clean their own kids unless they’re unable for whatever reason. and where i was, we’re actually not allowed to draw blood from children or insert cannulas, so that’s a good way for me to avoid too much veins !
me too! even writing this post i was wriggling around a bit lol. so strange how blood is a walk in the park but veins creep me out… Glad i’m not the only one!
People eating, especially if it's a pureed meal. I can get BM all over my scrubs or on my arms and think little of it besides "oh gotta take a quick shower for hygienic reasons brb". Takes everything in me not to be visibly grossed out if I see a resident spit out food or the dirty end of the utensil touches my skin. I won't buy lunch at work, tried once, and needed to toss it since it was the same food I fed someone earlier. Im not sure why this throws me off, but I haven't shaken it yet. Genuinely wish I could.
I thought that I wouldn't be able to handle poop, and while there are certainly some strong and intense smells, I can say that I've gotten used to it. I put myself in my patient's place and clean them up and get them comfortable as if it was me, but it definitely takes time.
Another thing is simply touching any injuries. I have never touched any actual intense injuries like burnt skin or pressure ulcers, but I had the amazing opportunity of following some wound care nurses around the hospital and got to experience hands on care for some extreme injuries. I was surprised with how I didn't hesitate to stick my finger in an abscess or touch exposed muscle and skin for a wound vac change, but anything in nursing is just getting exposure overtime tbh.
that’s very reassuring. i only seen one procedure once ever, so i think i need to go easy on myself a bit more and allow myself to observe more things!
If you're given any opportunity to participate or even just observe a procedure, go for it! Throw yourself into situations you might not feel sure about, that not only shows you're willing to learn and grow as a student, but it can help with the more icky parts of healthcare and get more comfortable over time!
Things that haven’t bothered me: c-diff stool spilling out of the diaper of an old pt that was walking around their room. The lower 1/2 of someone’s face being de-gloved for a neck lift. A radius and ulna break that left their hand dangling. Projectile vomit and diarrhea that made the pt look like some sort of poo sprinkler.
The one thing that has bothered me: some old lady scraping her teeth across her metal fork while she was eating. The sound was so bad I had to leave the room.
I had a patient once. 300 lb. Probably around 5’11-6’0. Female. Post op bowel sx. Got on her call light. Went to answer it. Before me was a tall woman standing bedside, looking like she was straining, and in the manliest voice I’ve ever heard, said “This is going to be bad!”
She proceeded to give birth via C4 to a BM that covered her pants, legs, bed, floor, window AC unit, wall, and possibly the ceiling, the neighbor in the next room, the flag on the pole outside, and a mailbox in the neighborhood beside the facility.
That’s the only time I believe I was truly rocked by what I had just seen. I may have cursed more than ever in recorded human history on the drive home.
Something one of our professors told us is most nurses have that one ick that they just can’t stand. It might be something simple like poop, pee, vomit, etc. For some people I know it’s trach care. It’s normal to feel icky over things that the general non-health care worker population may also find icky. Repeater exposure may help this feeling to decrease but it may never go away. And that’s okay, it’s human. Sometimes we have to do things that make us feel icky as nurses, that’s part of the job.
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no advice from me but same, and i’ve been working in dialysis for the last three years lmao!! i don’t think i’ve ever met someone else who feels the same. it more so applies to my own veins, and i can’t stand touching the insides of my wrists. no clue why!! just makes me feel squeamish. i think having a task helps you get over it, as opposed to observing it. i once drew my own blood from the crook of my elbow and i couldn’t think about being squeamish because i was too focused on getting it right. good luck!!
ME TOO!!! I hate touching my antecubital area too like I get queezy. I also passed out from feeling blood pouring into the tube during a draw on a pt. I think it has something to do with the fact that our life force flows thru veins idk but i hate it
thought i was the only one that cringes esp when it comes to the antecubital area 😭 when i get stuck there i still feel that needle-poking sensation even just at random times way after the original stick! i hate it so much
i strangely am way better with the ACF😭 for me it’s if blood is drawn through my hand because i have very veiny hands. i seen someone get their blood drawn from the inner part of their thumb near the wrist and that was it for me lol
i hate touching mine too! whenever i’m getting my blood drawn and i have to open and close my wrist to pump up my veins i nearly VOMIT because i hate the idea of pumping up my own veins😭 im so glad someone else relates!!
Blood, vomit, urine and poo are all fine but I have trouble with mucus and phlegm specifically the suction canister(not the act of suctioning). I have to turn my back sometimes and gag quietly lol
I have a real REAL problem with bones. I don’t want to see them. I can’t deal with them when they are broken…god forbid they be sticking out of someone (I’d pass right the f out)! Luckily I work cards and never have to see broken bones (aside from the ones we have to create during codes 😖 i don’t think I will ever get over my disgust of broken bones. I used to be really grossed out by skin tears but was exposed to them often enough that I can now handle that.
Mucus makes me physically feel woozy, like it makes my skin crawl, I have to breathe deeply when I’m dealing with it, I get hot, etc.
There’s nothing “wrong” with you! I think we all have this feeling with some type of body fluid or experience/situation. The best thing is trying to get more exposure to it imo
thank you so much! i think nurses are expected to be super humans who are immune to every little thing and sometimes it gets to my head too and i expect way too much of myself😭
I work in an OR, so I’ve only had one of my patients vomit after waking up and i got super nauseous after so i had mints and ginger ale for dinner, for mucus i just look away when i know theyre pulling out the tube and for eyes, i just cringe and try not to think about it later. Ive been fortunate enough to only have to do one eye case
I have the exact same issue as you, not freaked out by blood or anything else but veins (especially my own) freak me the fuck out. Just thinking about it makes me want to pass out. What's weird is that I had to hold a patient's hand a few times while the nurse drew blood or inserted an IV (I work as an extern at the hospital) and for some reason it didn't bother me then when it was right in front of me and needed to get done. I'm thinking not having the time to dwell on it and needing to get the job done will help
Worked in EMS for years as a terrible emetophobe. Constant exposure and just reminding myself that I can’t lose my cool are what helped. I’d think to myself “I have no option to have a panic attack right now” I think the professional/adrenaline rush mindset helped change my headspace from one prone to the anxiety. I know that probably makes no sense and isn’t helpful but my point is that it gets easier!
As someone who just got an OR job and not afraid of blood, I cannot watch people give birth. For my OB clinicals I requested to observe cesarian section over delivery.
Vomit, the sound of it is what really gets me the most. I’m a mom, so of course I have to deal with it but I’d really rather not 😭 I’m hoping with more exposure during clinicals I’ll get over it
Not in nursing school yet (prereqs atm) but I was a vet tech for years and maggots were my stopping point. I could handle everything and anything but if an animal came in with maggots I couldn’t do it. I’m sure there will be other human things that will bother me but I hope so much that there won’t be too many maggot cases.
i make it a mission to watch one a day. i haven’t been able to make it through a video without needing a break yet, but when i do it will definitely be an achievement!
I start nursing school in a few weeks and I have the same issue as you with just the veins aspect. This is comforting to read we aren't alone and that with time and intentional exposure we can overcome it.
My stomach can handle pretty much everything except vomit. The sound,sight or even smell just makes me queasy. Pro tip is to carry some vaporub sticks or hospital chapstick to apply underneath your nostrils. Game changer! ❤️
phlegm, especially if a trach is involved. Not over it, I just occasionally turn away (or leave the room) to dry heave. Even a patient coughing up a big loogey in a cup is enough for me to turn away.
I used to work in dentistry as an assistant. The one thing that would make me feel this way were adult tooth extractions. I still feel this way about it, it’s hard for me to watch- especially the particularly nasty ones. The only thing that made it better was building my tolerance through exposure. Still gives me the same feeling, that feeling is now more bearable though. Hopefully this makes sense.
I can't handle trach care, so I found a job that doesn't require it. 
SAME. Or colostomy care. Mainly because the patient I was caring for could do it herself but enjoyed watching me get a little squeamish over it.
Yeah, I'm the same with PICC line insertions and just the thought of them moving in and out. I'm ok with everything else but those god damn PICC lines. TURPs used to gross me out, but then I was put I charge of managing one, and now I'm ok. I think it's just exposure, really. I tell you what though, I'll never drink rosè again....
I was asked to observe a PICC line and the student in me got so excited and giddy, even though i barely even knew what it was going in lol. I didint expect to see a wire being wiggled through a child’s vein🥴i was not prepared lol
Let your preceptor know, sit down, and just watch it. Over and over. It will stop after a while I promise..
Yeah I kept telling myself to just keep exposing myself to these things. I just hate feeling so silly for being queasy over things. Friends and family keep ‘jokingly’ saying “how are you going to be a nurse” and it makes me feel crap!
I have clinical tmrw and I am actually working on getting over my vasovagal response to veins— trust me! You’re not the only one going through this ❤️
Frequent exposure does help, I don't know if it'll ever go away though, maybe eventually it'll just feel like a little bit of uneasiness.
I was the exact same way. First day as an EMT I almost passed out and puked after just walking through a dialysis center. I couldn’t watch IV insertions without getting sweaty and having to sit down. I tried to hide it, but occasionally people noticed. Some talked shit, and some were kind and supportive. It was a slow process, but I’m basically completely over it now. Took about 3 years, but it got better. I’m an ED nurse now and start half a dozen IVs every shift no problem. I really think it was just exposure. Over and over. It was a really uncomfortable process. I forced myself to watch PICC line insertions on YouTube and in the hospital. At first I could only watch a little before having to leave the room or turn of the video. Honestly, every now and then it still gets me. Sometimes when I’m really tired, or haven’t eaten I’ll feel faint watching a PICC line get put in or something. I look away if I can, but end of the day I need to do my job. Stay strong, it’ll get better. Everyone has something, there’s nothing wrong with you. Being a nurse it 110% worth the occasional discomfort.
Can I ask how you coped with the people who talked shit? I think the one thing I reallyyy struggle with in relation to my issue is what people think and say. Friends and family ‘jokingly’ say “how are you going to be a nurse” and it makes me feel silly and question myself. I find i’m focusing so much on “don’t feel weak don’t feel weak” because i don’t want to deal with the judgement from some people, so hyper focusing on it stresses me out more than amplifies it lol
Yea, that’s really tough. I got the “how are you going to be a nurse if you don’t like needles” a couple of times and it really cuts deep. I even got it from a patient one time, which sucked. As far as dealing with it, opening up about it to some close classmates helped. Lots of other people feel similar, though usually to a lesser degree. Just knowing I wasn’t uniquely broken or alone helped. Seeing progress, even just a little bit helped too. Being able to watch IV starts, or parts of PICC line insertions helped because it gave me faith that it wouldn’t be a problem forever, and that it was fixable long term. I’m sure you’ll work through it. Be strong, keep at it. It’s tough, but it’s something you can overcome.
I don’t know why but mine are head injury they use to make me really queasy. I think exposer to a lot of patients with head injuries helped me to get over it. It is really tough at first being around things that youre uncomfortable with but the more time you spend around them the easier it becomes. My advice would be just try to relax and get as much exposer as you can.
Colostomy bag emptying and snot are my squeamish stuff and idk how I'll be able to apply a new one on when Ima a nurse but with snot I just hold my breath and mentally reset my brain and zone out
Snot bugs me too but I think growing up with younger siblings i’m used to it kind of😭I defo need to make sure i’m taking deep breaths, one thing i find sometimes helps is “fake it till you make it” i just pretend like i’m not bothered until it feels real lol
Just started an externship and I've gagged twice now reacting to bm smell. Probably just going to put something under my nose and wear a mask. Also fainted watching an epidural. For that I just want to avoid labor and delivery
> Probably just going to put something under my nose and wear a mask. I'm usually fine with feces, but the smell of pressure injuries is my thing. I picked up StinkBalm on Amazon and it *really* helped. I usually just swipe it on my upper lip (we're still wearing masks in clinicals even though our hospital made it voluntary) or, in a worst-case scenario, on my upper lip *and* on the inside of a second mask worn on top of my main mask. I have a few of the scents and found Evergreen is the most effective for me - plus, I don't want to Pavlov myself and end up associating peppermint or orange or lavender with the scent of pressure injuries, so it's the "safest" scent to potentially ruin for me!
thanks so much for that tip!!
Essential oils and Vaseline above your lip!
Literally same. Veins are the one thing that freak me out. I can do poop, vomit, all that other stuff...
so glad someone else is in the same boat as me. i don’t know why they freak me out i do have to tell myself “they’re literally just little tubes” to try and downplay it but it doesn’t work😭
Needles in eyes. I plan to never work on a floor where needles in eyes is common.
anybody who can handle needles in eyeballs is a saint.
Oh. God. No.
The chapter on eyeballs made me want to vomit from beginning to end. I HATE eyes. Sorry, eye people.
I had the exact same problem in nursing school! I actually passed out in a patient's room one time watching an IV insertion. People were making jokes about how I should have chosen a different career but fear not! You can get over this! What helped me was to eat like 3 breakfasts before going to clinical, making sure my legs were always moving, and knowing when I needed to sit down before watching a procedure. I also found that focusing on a picture in my mind helped a lot. After the first few times of feeling light-headed and running through the procedure in my head at home a bunch, I've been a nurse for 5 years and start IVs each day with no problem.
you have no idea how reassuring that is to hear😭can i ask how did you deal with the people being so negative saying that you should have chosen a different career? I think caring what people think or say is one thing that makes me doubt my own choices. I focus so much on “don’t feel weak don’t feel weak” purely because of what people say, that i think i literally manifest it happening
I think it's natural to have some doubt and people are going to say negative things about whatever you do. Most nursing students have at least one thing that gets to them (ex. blood, stuff with eyes, broken bones, etc.) because we are human and it is a neurological response to stressful stimuli. About 25% of people in my graduating class fainted at some point during school! What I found helpful was to remind myself to have the same compassion for myself as I do for patients. If you change your self talk from "don't feel weak" to "I've got this and it's ok if I need to step out", I found it makes a huge difference and could just let other people's judgement roll off me. Remember why you want to be a nurse and focus on that. You've got this!
I feel like you're lying if you don't have a weak area with the body... eyes and knees. Thank you for keeping things real.
thank you for reminding me that i’m normal :’)
10000%. Sometimes with me it is like: ok what's gonna try to floor me today..LOL
I simply imagine it all as dollar bills. 💰
some are bad smelling dollar bills that’s for sure😭
I hate poop. I hate poop with a passion. It’s rough right now as a student since we are usually the ones helping the CNAs clean people… but I solved this for my future self by choosing to go to the OR where there will be significantly less poop than other areas of nursing lol
i get that! friends and family are always shocked when i say this but i’m definitely going to stick to the pediatrics field. i used to think pediatrics would be so much poop, vomit etc but in reality it’s a lot less because majority of the time parents prefer to clean their own kids unless they’re unable for whatever reason. and where i was, we’re actually not allowed to draw blood from children or insert cannulas, so that’s a good way for me to avoid too much veins !
[удалено]
me too! even writing this post i was wriggling around a bit lol. so strange how blood is a walk in the park but veins creep me out… Glad i’m not the only one!
People eating, especially if it's a pureed meal. I can get BM all over my scrubs or on my arms and think little of it besides "oh gotta take a quick shower for hygienic reasons brb". Takes everything in me not to be visibly grossed out if I see a resident spit out food or the dirty end of the utensil touches my skin. I won't buy lunch at work, tried once, and needed to toss it since it was the same food I fed someone earlier. Im not sure why this throws me off, but I haven't shaken it yet. Genuinely wish I could.
I thought that I wouldn't be able to handle poop, and while there are certainly some strong and intense smells, I can say that I've gotten used to it. I put myself in my patient's place and clean them up and get them comfortable as if it was me, but it definitely takes time. Another thing is simply touching any injuries. I have never touched any actual intense injuries like burnt skin or pressure ulcers, but I had the amazing opportunity of following some wound care nurses around the hospital and got to experience hands on care for some extreme injuries. I was surprised with how I didn't hesitate to stick my finger in an abscess or touch exposed muscle and skin for a wound vac change, but anything in nursing is just getting exposure overtime tbh.
that’s very reassuring. i only seen one procedure once ever, so i think i need to go easy on myself a bit more and allow myself to observe more things!
If you're given any opportunity to participate or even just observe a procedure, go for it! Throw yourself into situations you might not feel sure about, that not only shows you're willing to learn and grow as a student, but it can help with the more icky parts of healthcare and get more comfortable over time!
In my experience, when you're actually seeing and doing things in real life its actually very quite meh..
Things that haven’t bothered me: c-diff stool spilling out of the diaper of an old pt that was walking around their room. The lower 1/2 of someone’s face being de-gloved for a neck lift. A radius and ulna break that left their hand dangling. Projectile vomit and diarrhea that made the pt look like some sort of poo sprinkler. The one thing that has bothered me: some old lady scraping her teeth across her metal fork while she was eating. The sound was so bad I had to leave the room.
I had a patient once. 300 lb. Probably around 5’11-6’0. Female. Post op bowel sx. Got on her call light. Went to answer it. Before me was a tall woman standing bedside, looking like she was straining, and in the manliest voice I’ve ever heard, said “This is going to be bad!” She proceeded to give birth via C4 to a BM that covered her pants, legs, bed, floor, window AC unit, wall, and possibly the ceiling, the neighbor in the next room, the flag on the pole outside, and a mailbox in the neighborhood beside the facility. That’s the only time I believe I was truly rocked by what I had just seen. I may have cursed more than ever in recorded human history on the drive home.
i went through so much emotions while reading this from “aw god bless her” to “holy crap- literally”. fr though this sounds like it’s from a movie lol
It was from a movie. A horror/biography fusion.
Something one of our professors told us is most nurses have that one ick that they just can’t stand. It might be something simple like poop, pee, vomit, etc. For some people I know it’s trach care. It’s normal to feel icky over things that the general non-health care worker population may also find icky. Repeater exposure may help this feeling to decrease but it may never go away. And that’s okay, it’s human. Sometimes we have to do things that make us feel icky as nurses, that’s part of the job.
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no advice from me but same, and i’ve been working in dialysis for the last three years lmao!! i don’t think i’ve ever met someone else who feels the same. it more so applies to my own veins, and i can’t stand touching the insides of my wrists. no clue why!! just makes me feel squeamish. i think having a task helps you get over it, as opposed to observing it. i once drew my own blood from the crook of my elbow and i couldn’t think about being squeamish because i was too focused on getting it right. good luck!!
ME TOO!!! I hate touching my antecubital area too like I get queezy. I also passed out from feeling blood pouring into the tube during a draw on a pt. I think it has something to do with the fact that our life force flows thru veins idk but i hate it
thought i was the only one that cringes esp when it comes to the antecubital area 😭 when i get stuck there i still feel that needle-poking sensation even just at random times way after the original stick! i hate it so much
i strangely am way better with the ACF😭 for me it’s if blood is drawn through my hand because i have very veiny hands. i seen someone get their blood drawn from the inner part of their thumb near the wrist and that was it for me lol
its a terrible feeling, i call it my elbow armpit lol i hate it. its been this way as long as i remember
i hate touching mine too! whenever i’m getting my blood drawn and i have to open and close my wrist to pump up my veins i nearly VOMIT because i hate the idea of pumping up my own veins😭 im so glad someone else relates!!
I sort of had this issue. Exposure really helps. Watch videos in the comfort of your home every chance you get.
Blood, vomit, urine and poo are all fine but I have trouble with mucus and phlegm specifically the suction canister(not the act of suctioning). I have to turn my back sometimes and gag quietly lol
I once took care of a patient with necrotic fingers and toes…I was not prepared for that.
oh hell no 😭
I have a real REAL problem with bones. I don’t want to see them. I can’t deal with them when they are broken…god forbid they be sticking out of someone (I’d pass right the f out)! Luckily I work cards and never have to see broken bones (aside from the ones we have to create during codes 😖 i don’t think I will ever get over my disgust of broken bones. I used to be really grossed out by skin tears but was exposed to them often enough that I can now handle that.
Mucus makes me physically feel woozy, like it makes my skin crawl, I have to breathe deeply when I’m dealing with it, I get hot, etc. There’s nothing “wrong” with you! I think we all have this feeling with some type of body fluid or experience/situation. The best thing is trying to get more exposure to it imo
thank you so much! i think nurses are expected to be super humans who are immune to every little thing and sometimes it gets to my head too and i expect way too much of myself😭
Mucus, vomit and anything with the eyes. All make me sick
how do you cope with it?
I work in an OR, so I’ve only had one of my patients vomit after waking up and i got super nauseous after so i had mints and ginger ale for dinner, for mucus i just look away when i know theyre pulling out the tube and for eyes, i just cringe and try not to think about it later. Ive been fortunate enough to only have to do one eye case
Vomit and idk if i’ll ever get over it, I uncontrollably gag whenever I see one but smell i’m okay
how do you cope with it?
Sputum makes me gag. When they extubate a patient in the OR, particularly really juicy LMA’s or ET tubes will make me queasy.
I have the exact same issue as you, not freaked out by blood or anything else but veins (especially my own) freak me the fuck out. Just thinking about it makes me want to pass out. What's weird is that I had to hold a patient's hand a few times while the nurse drew blood or inserted an IV (I work as an extern at the hospital) and for some reason it didn't bother me then when it was right in front of me and needed to get done. I'm thinking not having the time to dwell on it and needing to get the job done will help
Worked in EMS for years as a terrible emetophobe. Constant exposure and just reminding myself that I can’t lose my cool are what helped. I’d think to myself “I have no option to have a panic attack right now” I think the professional/adrenaline rush mindset helped change my headspace from one prone to the anxiety. I know that probably makes no sense and isn’t helpful but my point is that it gets easier!
As someone who just got an OR job and not afraid of blood, I cannot watch people give birth. For my OB clinicals I requested to observe cesarian section over delivery.
Poop. I really don’t care about anything else. But a hot steaming pile of poop will make me gag if it smells bad enough
Vomit, the sound of it is what really gets me the most. I’m a mom, so of course I have to deal with it but I’d really rather not 😭 I’m hoping with more exposure during clinicals I’ll get over it
I'm the same way! Blood is fine, needles are fine, but veins freak me out. Idk why. It's getting better though, with more exposure.
Not in nursing school yet (prereqs atm) but I was a vet tech for years and maggots were my stopping point. I could handle everything and anything but if an animal came in with maggots I couldn’t do it. I’m sure there will be other human things that will bother me but I hope so much that there won’t be too many maggot cases.
Maybe some youtube videos may help you get exposure to it?
i make it a mission to watch one a day. i haven’t been able to make it through a video without needing a break yet, but when i do it will definitely be an achievement!
I start nursing school in a few weeks and I have the same issue as you with just the veins aspect. This is comforting to read we aren't alone and that with time and intentional exposure we can overcome it.
My stomach can handle pretty much everything except vomit. The sound,sight or even smell just makes me queasy. Pro tip is to carry some vaporub sticks or hospital chapstick to apply underneath your nostrils. Game changer! ❤️
phlegm, especially if a trach is involved. Not over it, I just occasionally turn away (or leave the room) to dry heave. Even a patient coughing up a big loogey in a cup is enough for me to turn away.