We all have our nursing weakness. That one thing that we as a nurse have to ‘gear-up’ for just to make it through the experience.
We have to ‘stomach’ some pretty disgusting things throughout our day, and for the most part we don’t think twice about it.
BUT there is always one thing that every nurse has a tough time with.
Me?
I mean the really bad ones. Like a stage IV that is necrotic, tunneling and oozing the most mal-odorous funk-da-fied drainage known to man. 
Yeah… ya know what I’m talking about. That ischial or sacral ulcer that is tunneling so bad that you can fit your fist as far up as your elbow in there.
I blame my weakness on nursing school. LOL
There was a particular patient that every student had the pleasure of taking care of. We all had our rotation of taking care of this certain patient, since the patient was almost a permanent fixture in the facility.
The patient had two very large stage IVs on their backside that were exactly as I described above. And due to the lack of help and staffing, we all teamed up on a daily basis to change the dressings. I’ve lost count on how many times I saw those two horrifying sites. They are forever burned into my brain, as well as the foggy aroma that emanated from them!
I’m told an aversion to sputum (mucous) is quite a popular weakness these days. Luckily sputum and I have no differences of opinion. This is especially good news since we have quite the intimate relationship, with me working in Critical Care.
Intubated patients. Need I say more?
So what was, or what is your weakness? We all have one.
“What Is Your Vice?” originally posted on My Strong Medicine.
Mine is the “P” word…no, not poop but phlegm! I will take a wound anyday over mucus!!!!! LOL…
I have to agree phlegm is the only thing that gets yo me.
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@ frogeyes10 We’ll trade.
I have to say vomit. I will take poop, decub ulcers any day, but I cannot do vomit!
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@ Charlene I think as long as a prepare for the smell.. I’m ok with vomit. LOL
emesis and phlegm anything else I can handle.
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@ Sonya That would be difficult to avoid!
I have to agree: vomit. It never bothered me in my younger years, but as I get older, I am getting closer and closer to being right there with them.
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@ Mala – yes vomit is a toughy.
mine is gooey eyes and/or ears. Blood, guts and gore do not phase me but show me a bad case of pink eye and I’m puking. That and I once had a patient admitted for an ear infection. Pus was pouring out this ladies ear onto the bed… UGH!
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@ Vicki – That’s a new one for me! Wow. Thanks for sharing.
Vomit…it comes from being trapped in a moving ambulance as an EMT with projectile vomiters….THERE IS NO ESCAPE!!!
Pretty much anything else I can cope…except maybe the smell of a lower GI bleed…and even then, there’s Vicks Vapo-Rub
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@ Little D Now that would be quite the situation!
Sputum! Suctioning it, coughing it up what ever way it comes. I can handle pretty much anything else but If I never have to suction a trach again I’ll die a happy RN!
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That seems to be a popular one, for obvious reasons.
Clostridium difficile diarrhea.Just the smell of it gives me such a horrible headache.That’s how I know it’s time for the MD to start the Flagyl: the smell and the headache.Also, the vomiting of patients still sometimes gets to me.Not the vomit itself,but the vomiting manuever beforehand.Iusually get into it right along with them.
RN
Registered Nurse
Mine are nasty, gnarly, funky toenails.
for me diabetic septic foot and stool .
LPN
Licensed Practical Nurse
vomit,and lung matter
RN
Registered Nurse
I work in an Emergency Department, so I’ve gotten over my aversion to puke…except charcoal puke. When it gets chunky, I’m outta there!
Menstruation. I was tasked with cleaning up a develop mentally disabled Pt. who had started her period. Just before lunch. I haven’t been able to stomach tomato soup for lunch since. Does it matter that I’m male?
RN
Registered Nurse
Vomit and sputum.. I can handle any wound or anything that comes out of the bottom end, but not so much the top end!
If there are any O.R. nurses reading you will understand, my weakness are dermoid cyst.
RN
Registered Nurse
give me all the liquid that comes out of a body no problems, yet say bone broken bones, miss shapen arms legs etc….I am so out there.
My weakness is teeth, broken teeth, teeth falling out, the sound of grinding teeth omg I have to prepare re myself so much when I have to deal with a patient in those situations. I can handle poop, vomit, phlegm, mucous pee, purulent drainage you name it.