<p>A bit off topic, but back for some more expert and informative advice this board so kindly offers......</p>
<p>Daughter was early admission accepted to a nursing school. This was all planned out long term, headed to a CRNP or another advanced type of nursing.</p>
<p>So....she had three job shadows over Christmas break. A high school nurse, a nursing home visit and a Free Clinic visit. She didn't particulary "feel" the high school nurse and "couldn't see" herself working in a nursing home. At the Free Clinic she had to excuse herself when the nurse irrigated an ear and proceeded to faint flat out in the hallway.</p>
<p>Naturally, this has caused us to re-think nursing!</p>
<p>Does anyone have any experience with overcoming this sort of thing?? My son and I also have this "fainting" tendancy during anything medical. I honestly thought she was stronger than this. She (and I) hate to give up this tidy little plan we had, but I don't want her to suffer anxiety and trauma during her training either.</p>
<p>Sorry for the off-topic-ness of this post, but am a little desperate for some input. </p>
<p>Any suggestions for an alternate, but similiar career path would also be entertained :)</p>
<p>The first time you experience something, it may be too much, but the second and third time may be fine. I think the best thing is to do more volunteer work or a paid job in a medical setting to find out if you can handle it. If the problem persists, then there are some medical fields that are more technologically oriented or more oriented towards rehabilitation of patients after surgery. Take a look at the choices at a university with a large health care program.</p>
<p>A helpful answer. Although time is running out. College is awaiting their non-refundable deposit to hold her place. If she is going to puruse an alternate/related occupation, we need to find it and find it fast LOL. </p>
<p>I know I really haven’t out-grown the “passing out” thing so I hold out little help she will.</p>
<p>^^^
I’ll agree with Charlieschm. Although you certainly know your daughter better than we it is likely IMPO that this kind of a thing will pass with time and exposure/experience. If your daughter wants this badly enough to “hang in there” and work through this then I think she’ll eventually be fine. Have her work some more at the free clinic this Summer or at a hospital as a nurses aid if possible. </p>
<p>FWIW - it is probably easier to transfer out of nursing and into most other majors than it is to transfer in. There are some exceptions but generally a college nursing program is one of it’s most competitive programs.</p>
<p>Off the top of my head, if she wants to stay in the healthcare field, I could possibly suggest a career in physical therapy with an undergrad major in exercise science (although in physical therapy one would probably still have to deal with some squeemish physical situations depending on the type of patients being treated). My D was considering this before she finally decided on Nursing. Best of luck to your D.</p>
<p>My H always tells the story of how he nearly fainted seeing blood when he first started his medical training. Once he continued with his studies, he lost this reaction and now is only squeamish if the blood he sees belongs to a family member. He has been a pediatrician (including ER) for many years. Don’t let this reaction ruin a fantastic career! Nurses can also work in nonclinical positions so, in the unlikely event that the queasiness does persist, there are many administrative and academic options.</p>
<p>My SIL fainted too the first time she saw a surgery as a pre-med college student. She’s fine now…LOL… and ended up being a pediatric specialist who does intense things like joint injections. If you like, I can ask her how she acclimated to things. </p>
<p>Your D may also prefer heading towards occupational or physical therapy. There’s a lot of diversity in the health field.</p>
<p>When I was 10 I went to visit my dad after gall bladder surgery. With the tubes and sutures I almost fainted. I still get queasy looking at black sutures. I am a surgical nurse. My d is applying to nursing, at one of the visits threy mentioned working with kids that have these issues. It might have been an off day too. I agree its harder to transfer in so choose the place that has other programs she might like. I also worked in nursing homes, and would not choose to do that as a career.</p>
<p>There used to be a cable TV channel with surgeries. That may still exist, or you may find some videos online. It is a low risk way to get over squeamishness - no one will see your reaction in your home.</p>
<p>I also remember looking through a friend’s gynecology textbook with lots of photos of diseased genitalia. If that doesn’t get someone squeamish, nothing will.</p>
<p>Ballroommom, I too had this issue when I started nursing school. I almost passed out the first time I saw an involved dressing change at my first clinical rotation. I almost passed out again on my rotation through the OR. I’ve been a nurse for 8 years now, and I’ve worked in NICU, OR, endoscopy unit, and PACU. If your daughter wants to be a nurse, she can desensitize herself to blood/body fluids. It’s actually quite common to have the reaction she has had - residents often pass out during their first rotation through the OR. We’re actually quite used to it! I agree with other suggestions about your D continuing to find opportunities to desensitize herself to what bothers her. Good luck!!</p>
<p>My cousin is an LPN. She once fainted after seeing the tiniest bit of blood from a paper cut on her finger - needless to say, she got over that!</p>
<p>My mom is also an LPN. She used to gag when cleaning up after our dogs (puppies at the time) messed in the house. She also got over it rather quickly. </p>
<p>It will be hard to fight through the initial fainting feelings, but if she sticks with it, she will eventually get used to it and it’ll be second nature to her.</p>
<p>there was another thread on here about this recently…funny! </p>
<p>Anyway, nurse for 20 years. There are SO many different aspects of nursing that she can go into, that she will find what she “feels”, and she will get over her fainting. Or at least learn coping strategies. </p>
<p>Somethings she may never get over. More than one long term nurse still has dry heaves when cleaning up vomit or helping someone actively vomiting. You just learn how to live with it! Tha same nurse could be up to her ears in blood without thinking twice about it.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone for the input and wonderful, wise suggestions! I sincerely appreciate your time and effort in responding. I printed out this thread and gave it to daughter…don’t think she’s buying it though. She really doesn’t see herself getting over this and I’m beginning to feel that perhaps her heart just isn’t it in either then (?) I guess I will just give her time/space (which is running out) to make up her mind.</p>
<p>Greenwitch - thanks for the effort to contact your SIL re her coping habits. I’ll let you know!</p>
<p>Downtoearth - wondered about the “off day” too since daughter has been through a lot of emotional upheaval lately. Time will tell.</p>
<p>Charlieschm - Navy! I thought of that Not a bad idea…</p>
<p>There are several options to consider for armed services. One is to join after nursing school, which is what my sister did. She went through a few weeks of officer training, and then was commissioned into the reserves. She was committed to 3 years active duty, and then reenlisted a few times, before becoming a real reservist. It is a great way to travel the world for free, if you don’t mind being strapped into temporary seating on a noisy transport plane next to an armored vehicle. She ended up marrying a doctor in the navy reserves.</p>
<p>I agree with the other poster here. She needs to figure out if it’s something she can get used to. Son had job shadowed several times but when he was talking to the neurosurgeon prior to observing a fusion, the Dr asked if he was ok with observing because doc had almost passed out when observing his first 2. S said that he was feeling fine until the Dr had told him that!
If it’s something she can get used to, she will be fine. She will be like many current medical professionals that took a little while to get used to it. If, however, she can’t, she should consider a different direction.</p>
<p>You know, ballroommom, you may be on to something. She may be having second thoughts and is latching on something that will give her a way out. Some kids know exactly what they want early on. Most don’t. I realize she has an acceptance (and a plan) that needs an answer soon, but how much time can you give her to think? What else is available at the school should she change her mind? What is her second choice? </p>
<p>My d switched to a nursing major after her very well researched first choice major didn’t work out. Same as your d, she had a job shadow experience that showed her some things she really didn’t want to live with. I’ll be honest, she’d been talking up the first major and living with the idea that she was going to be X for so long that making a change was hard to get her head wrapped around the idea of being something else</p>
Not a bad idea…</p>