Lesson learned!

I have been thinking alot lately of all my "new nurse" moments. I graduated from College only one year ago so I am still fairly new at the game. I will NEVER forget the time that we were in our third semester and having to do a shift on the surgical floor in a big city hospital, by this time we had pretty much seen it all and smelled it all.... but nothing could prepare me for this.







My partner and I were working together on our patient and performing HS care, (you must picture us dressed up in our infectious disease suits- gown, gloves, mask, and booties) We were wearing all the garb because our patient had c-diff (clostridium difficile; basically bacteria of the stool) We had learned about this in School and our teacher's had prepared us but even if they had told you it was the worst smell ever you would have never thought...





So my partner and I are getting our work done and we move down to the bottom of the patient and the smell hits you... I start dry heaving in my mask while we dig in and start cleaning up the bottom. The smell got so bad I had to move my way to the washroom as I was trying to be respectful of my patients feelings, I ended up vomiting in my mask and inhailing it up my nose and oohhh it gets better.....





I WET my pants! My partner didn't know the wiser till I came back out and asked if she could tell that I peed my pants....

Lesson learned... To wear Vicks under my nose to mask the smell!

I must say 95% of that program was blood, sweat and tears but the other was pure and genuine fun that will be with me forever!