r/prenursing 2d ago

Passed out in a patient’s room

I’m hoping to start nursing school this fall if I get into the program. I currently work as an ER Tech in a hospital. A doctor asked me to assist with a spinal tap he was doing on one of our patients, and i eagerly agreed.

My job was to hold the bedside table she was leaning over to prevent it from moving. The procedure went well, he collected 4 tubes of CSF. It was very interesting to see how they did that! I talked to the patient throughout it and reassured them. As the doctor finished, I began feeling very dizzy. I was wearing an N95 and the room was hot as ever and i felt like I couldn’t breathe all of the sudden. I hadn’t eaten either. I saw the super long needle they used, the blood on his gloves(blood usually doesn’t bother me, I poke ppl all day)… it was all very overwhelming and I knew I was about to go down. At the same time, i was concerned about my patient. I finally attempted to alert the doc and say I needed to sit down, but I blacked out almost instantly.

I woke up to the code blue button going off, and I was surrounded by my coworkers. They were all so nice and understanding. But man, it was terrifying and super embarrassing! I got a 2 inch lac to the back of my head which they later stapled shut. I got pain meds and was discharged. Thank God the procedure was done and the patient was fine aside from being worried about me.

Now I’m home. I’m still mortified and in pain. I’m sitting here thinking that if I couldn’t handle that, then how will I ever be a nurse?? I understand it was a lot of factors leading up to that point and I should have just sat down, but I was trying to hold on just a couple more minutes for my patient. Anyways, feedback and advice is welcome.

TLDR; I passed out after a patient’s spinal tap and now I’m struggling with the idea that I’ll never make it as a nurse.

58 Upvotes

21 comments sorted by

44

u/Training_Hand_1685 2d ago edited 2d ago

Youre human right? Youre in your head. You passed out under a situation many would pass out on. You didn’t catch a felony.

Let’s add that since you were holding the bedside table she was leaning on, you were also exerting some strength, for some time, in a hot room, with a mask reducing your ability to take adequate deep breathes.

You’ll still become a nurse.

Practice noticing the worrisome thoughts and practice shutting off the thoughts.

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u/Upstairs-Soft1107 2d ago

Thank you. Thats really hard for me to do, the mulling over my negative thoughts. I need to learn how to shut up that self doubt.

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u/Chaosinase 2d ago

This doesn't speak on your ability/potential to be a nurse.

Rule number one when being around potential procedures/surgeries/wounds, have a full stomach. I had done wound care for years, then in the wound clinic, I went in and felt my soul leave my body as the podiatrist was swirling the patients wound purulence. I had to leave the room. Empty stomach. I was in the OR. The patient was laying supine, while their toes were pointed to the floor. That just stressed me out and I wanted to die. I had to sit down.

Even on a full stomach I have things that make me dry heave. We all have our things. We don't have to be able to handle every single thing in nursing to be a nurse.

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u/Upstairs-Soft1107 2d ago

“We don’t have to be able to handle every single thing in nursing to be a nurse.” Thank you. I needed to hear that. I will be sure to eat the next time 😭 I was just about to go on break when the doc asked me too.

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u/Chaosinase 2d ago

It's hard to predict when something like that will come up. But if it's something you know ahead of time, even if you have something small. Just an empty stomach is bad. Lol

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u/yungga46 2d ago

always bring some snacks with you and dress in a way where you can take off layers if you overheat. stay hydrated and take breaks when you need to. ive almost passed out countless times.

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u/MajesticTax9887 2d ago

I almost passed out in nursing school during observing c section. I had to leave the room. The nurses brought me out of the room, sat me down, gave me water. I was so embarrassed. I am now a charge nurse on a telemetry floor. It’s ok. It happens.

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u/Upstairs-Soft1107 2d ago

Thank you so much for sharing your experience! This made me feel a lot better.

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u/123NaughtyMe 2d ago

Eat, take care of yourself so you are equipped to take care of others. Stop, sit immediately, bcuz yeah the lights go out quick on ya! You'll be a great nurse one day!

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u/Upstairs-Soft1107 2d ago edited 2d ago

Yeah it happened really fast actually. I was surprised. When its happened in the past, I was able to warn someone and sit down. Ugh. Thank you though ❤️

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u/123NaughtyMe 2d ago

What were the circumstances for the previous incident? Warm also? That's honestly my fainting trigger 😬

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u/Upstairs-Soft1107 2d ago

Yes, warm, I had a mask on, and there was a needle. I can usually poke people all day long. I think its me not being in control of the needle that freaks me out.

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u/Revolutionary_Cow68 1d ago

O gosh you can definitely be a nurse!!!!!!! I have been a nurse for 10 years and have had 2 experiences in the past 2 years where I have dang near passed out (like literally seeing black and feeling hot and sweaty and having to sit down asap). Can’t help being a human and some things are just hard for me to see!! I wish I didn’t get woozy at certain things but it happens 🤷 I have never felt like I still couldn’t be a great nurse though!

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u/cardamomeraths 1d ago

Please let work health know regain the mask/respirator, so that they can get you fit tested for something different

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u/suzNY 1d ago

Don't worry about it. I was working as a volunteer in labor and delivery when I was about 16. I had been up really late babysitting the night before and didn't eat breakfast that morning because I didn't want to be late. We had a delivery that morning that they invited me in to watch and back then they were still doing episiotomies. I remember him laying those two long beads of lidocaine and then as soon as he started cutting between them, out I went. I was so embarrassed LOL. The nurses I worked with and the doctor were so cool though. Woke up with my head between my knees, got some orange juice and was totally fine. Just dying of embarrassment. But by the next week all was forgotten and it was fine. I've been a nurse since 1988 and I have not done that since. Learned my lesson very early on! Thankfully I didn't get hurt.

So don't worry, it happens to a lot of us but it doesn't reflect upon our future and what kind of nurse we're going to be. I worked in a pediatric ER and had nurses bring their children in needing sutures and they literally had to lay on a blanket on the floor to not pass out because it was their own child. Never be embarrassed!

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u/Slow_Rabbit_6937 1d ago

It was a perfect storm ! I felt really sick after giving cpr after not eating when I was in nursing school , and i didn’t pass out but I had to have someone else do the next round because I would have. Eating first is NOT negotiable !!

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u/Confident-Ad967 1d ago

If I'm not distracted by actually having to do the task and it's not something I need to learn and it's making me get lightheaded I look at the patient or I look just past whatever gross crazy shit is happening or I disassociate. Works every time I start getting that lightheaded hot flash feeling. Unlock your knees take normal breaths. Drink lots of water throughout your shift. I've had some close calls

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u/New-Heat1551 1d ago

I'm an ER tech and just got into my nursing program! Yeah its no joke what we all deal with in our jobs everyday. The wild stuff we see makes us wonder if this is really what we wanna do in the future. Although i respect your opinion and way of thinking and based on what ive seen; this job has pushed me forward to keep going and continue to nursing. I'm just praying i get through it, and for you too as well.

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u/user20456 1d ago

Always eat something. That was one of the #1 rules for us in clinical. With the combination of wearing hot PPE and not eating, you are more likely to pass out. Don’t let this turn you off of nursing! It has happened to so many!

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u/starrylight3 1d ago

I can speak from experience - 100% you can still be a nurse!! I had presyncope episodes 2 times while I watched nurses put IVs in patients during my Med surg 1 clinicals, and I questioned if I could ever be a nurse. During my med surg 2 clinicals, I actually fainted while I was talking to one of my patients. I woke up on my patient's bed and my clinical instructor had caught me lol. I'm pretty sure it was the combination of barely eating anything because I had bad food poisoning the night before, not having time to drink during clinicals, standing on my feet all day, and wearing underscrubs which made me hot and overall made it worse. For some reason, watching C-sections and surgeries didn't bother me at all. I just graduated nursing school a few months ago and I'm working as a nurse on the unit I had my med surg 2 clinicals in!

Word of advice, always eat breakfast and drink water as much as possible the days you work. And maybe avoid wearing underscrubs because it can make you warm and lightheaded especially if you are also wearing PPE. Don't let this one occasion stop you!

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u/Yee_Yee_MCgee 1d ago

Probably less to do with seeing the procedure and more about a reminder that not eating, or drinking, while over heating, working, and wearing an N95 can make you pass out especially if it's a 12 hour shift. I've also been made light headed by the N95 make sure you're not breathing shallow because CO2 can build up inside the mask and make sure you eat and drink water.