"Another classic tale; it's bad enough having to treat patients exposed to scabies w/Elimite during a mid-summer heatwave,

 even worse,having to treat yourself,as well ! ( Sad,but true ).Yes,we live to tell..."

I was a firefighter before I was a nurse (hence my profile name), burnt flesh didn't bother me as much as an ileostomy.  That one may not be gross to some, but it still gets to me for some reason.  I stand on one foot when changing those.  By concentrating on my balance, I don't think of the smell, as much.

Smells,what smells? I have turned off my nose for years by breathing through my mouth. Works everytime. i do remember that a released bowel obstruction was pretty nasty.

 we should try to find out what that thick white stuff is (it looks like zinc oxide) which coroners use under their noses and behind their masks when they need to be distracted from the various odors they encounter in their professions.  ????????

Wow. Mtnknight, I bet you do smell some pretty bad stuff...

In case anyone missed it, NursingLink posted this article on funky hospital smells:

http://nursinglink.monster.com/benefits/articles/21609-10-funky-hospital-smells

 people who have to put up with the smells like these are more than heroes....they are one of a kind...They really need scratch and smell books when going into nursing........We all need a raise..More than firemen!!! But, its a man's world,,lol

C-Diff and GI bleeds...I worked as an EMT before I was a nurse...we got called to a house and before we even entered the house, we could smell a GI bleed...it's really distinct!

The smell of Mandation

Oh, the memories of my ER time..LOL Teresa

I cannot argue with any of these,  but the very worse for me was one as described by HerbalNurse.  A long forgotten tampon.  We knew that it was long forgotten, because she came in after totally missing one period (4-7 weeks).  The entire clinic emptied out, windows flew open, spray can came out.  It was pretty bad.    The other one is totally psychological, it will get you or it won't.  I was removing the top of the skull in an autopsy with 2 student nurses and discovered that the smell of burning bone can cause fainting.

I have to say that the worse smell, has to be without a doubt, gangrene. I have smelled poop, urine, pus, and sputum. But, nothing has quite the smell of gangrene. I can't explain the scent, GROSS, don't cut it! I think that menustration is a close second. I will never forget that smell as long as I live!

I would have to say that a patient with c diff tops it all.

I agree with the foot gangrene smell is the worst ever that I remember and probably will never forget.

Where is you stuffed up nose when you need it..LOL