Emetophobic nurses?

[chocolategirl]

Hello everyone! Lately I've been thinking about what I should major in in college, and the thing that I've always wanted to be is a nurse! It's ironic isn't it lol. I don't want my emet to stand in the way of my dream; I was wondering if there are any nurses on here who are emets! If so, what is your experience with emet and the job? Thanks!!

[Erica1649]

Not for me! I like helping people and stuff, but I can't deal with the vomiting aspect...just couldn't do it!

I almost cringe when I'm visiting somebody in the hospital and I hear gagging sounds that aren't even vomiting...so unfortunately, its out of the question for me.

But don't let emetophobia get in the way of what you want to do. Maybe if you wanna do something a little less subtle, become a Physicians assistant or a medical assistant in a doctor office setting.

[livepink]

Well, I'm not a nurse but I'm a nurses aide in a nursing home and it's definitely a hard thing to get into with emet. However, you can definitely do it!! Depending on where you work, long term care, hospital, traveling nurse, etc you'll most likely be working in noro quarantines in the late winter months. I'm not sure how it works where you live, but here in a nursing home or med surge floor in a hospital if someone is to v* it's the aides who clean it, measure it and report to the nurse. It's still hard to see sometimes but it definitely does get easier after awhile and I definitely think you could do it. The only extremely hard times are when noro is going around but as long as you are top notch with your hand hygiene you can escape it! I've been at my job for nearly a year doing aide work and for the first 4 or 5 months I cried everday, didn't want to go back, told everyone I couldn't do it and during our noro outbreak I ran out of a room when a patient v* but each time I'm faced with something, it gets a little easier. I think alot of it is desensitization, and I know for me when one of my residents is sick it's not about me and my fear anymore, I have to put it aside because I'm there for them. Just today my nurse came up to me and told me someone needed to go back to bed because they were sick and even though my stomach dropped and I wanted to run, I just did what I had to do and I lived. I think if anything, a job in nursing can help this fear if you go in with the right mindset. Hope this jumbled rant helped!

[chocolategirl]

Thank you soo much for the encoragment! I am trying to find a part in nursing where it is not that much with v*....But I do think it will probably help alot with getting used to it and all Thanks for the advice!