Doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals, is being squeamish something you get over?

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I've always wanted to be a children's nurse and I have decided to apply. However, one thing that I'm a little worried about is that I can be squeamish at times, and when I see someone hurt I get a tingly feeling in the same area of my body and pins and needles rush down me. It's more of an issue with family members than strangers, and I've been able to improve on this since doing a first aid course and kind of learning to detach from how the person must feel and focus more on what I should to do - if that makes sense. To me, being squeamish seems like a natural response to seeing someone hurt, and that it can be something that you become desensitised to as a medical professional?

I also wonder how do medical professionals avoid getting ill all the time? If you're dealing with children with vomiting and diarrhoea, or the flu or other infectious diseases? Obviously you would use strict hygiene measures and infection control but is it common for medical professionals to get ill a lot, or does their immune system adapt?

Consider other healthcare professions if you find that nursing is not for you. Occupational Therapy is brilliant and you can easily forge a career that doesn't involve body fluids or needles. Lots of opportunities in mental health, learning difficulties, social services, the criminal justice system and education.
Good luck

He he physio work can be an issue for the squeamish too….plenty of sputum, grim wounds and being up close and personal with people in particular! I personally always struggled with placements/work that involved children as I really couldn’t bear to see/hear their distress,so paediatric staff are incredible to remain calm and supportive in these situations. I have fainted 3 times in my career but equally I there’s some things that don’t bother me at all and other things that do….but as with most health care jobs there are so many different specialities that you can find a niche that suits you best .It’s just getting through the training that’s the issue. With any health care jobs I think work experience is invaluable…I worked in nursing homes and as a carer before training so if you can try and get some direct work experience this might help you decide. Illness wise ,again I think it’s variable….I am fairly resistant to stomach bugs but get colds at the drop of a hat.

You do get over it. I've been a nurse over 40 years now and first day as a student on the wards I fainted when I saw blood, two elderly patients looked after me and even got me a cup of tea I was mortified. But got better and better. For nasty smells a little dab of Vicks under your nose works wonders. You know it's bad when the patient producing the smell is gagging and trying not to vomit. It's really bad when your older nurses look at something and say "Oh dear"

I have been a nurse for 20yrs and am actually worse than when I started! I can't stand the majority of bodily fluids so I choose to work somewhere where I rarely see them. That is the great part of a nursing career - as long as you can get through your training you can choose to work anywhere. There are plenty of jobs which aren't 'gory'. Plus I have had about 2 sick days in as many years, amazing immunity.

I've been a nurse 15 years and you learn how to deal with it.... although sputum is the one thing I still find hard to stomach but I just decided not to work in an area like chest medicine then I don't really come into contact with it. As far as picking things up, apart from when I've been pregnant and my immune system has been suppressed I think I've just build an immunity to most things I've been in contact with. I'm rarely ill, even with school age children now that being everything home. You can do it.

I’m a childrens nurse, most nurses have something they aren’t keen on vomit/poo/mucous/wounds etc you learn to breathe through your mouth for smells, but you do get over it. Or you swap with a colleague. There’s nothing really that bothers me. I didn’t catch anything from work. Good hand hygiene and infection control procedures help, wearing protective aprons etc. caught loads of my own kids though.

Once when pregnant a stoma made me feel urgh but would never show it: also taking packing out of an anal abscess poor girl was so upset was really horrible - she had max pain relief etc but you feel for these poor kids they put up with a lot and usually just get on with it i wouldn’t change my job. I’m not sure if it’s the job for you though if you can’t get over the Squamishness.

I removed half a rotten foot the other day with a scalpel. It didn't bother me in the slightest and my patient felt no pain, they were in fact overjoyed to get rid of it.
But when I first started in 1983 I remember being sick a lot and going home in tears. You lose the squeamishness but just make sure you never lose your empathy.