I am currently a nursing student and have been a CNA for six months. As I go through school I am learning about things I did not know about a CNA regarding contact precautions. I know that my long term care facility does put a sign up on the door saying 'Stop! See nurses station before entering'. At my facility, I will be honest. Absolutely no one wears any gowns or anything when working, no nurses and no CNAs.

My question is as I study this I realize how important it is. It makes me nervous now because what have I been doing? Have I been exposing myself to VRE, MRSA, ESBL and will I someday get if my immune system weakens? No one in the facility seems the least but concerned. They will go in there and pick up a contact patient and put her on the toilet. I am very careful about what I do in every singe room. I never let my clothes touch the bed or the pt and just get them cleaned up as quick as possible. I also do not bring my shoes or clothes into the house and do separate laundry with everything. I will start wearing gowns now that I am educated (even if I am the only one who does and they think I'm crazy). Is my facility the only one who just doesn't care? I imagine hospitals would be strict. I'm scared I will be colonized with these germs and wondering if its too late :/

For every person you know who has MRSA, VRE, etc, there is probably just as many who have it that you DON'T know about it. Both in the hospital setting, and out in the community. Chances are, you are probably colonized, if they were to swab your nares. No sense worrying about the past, just practice contact precautions from now on in the future.

It is very unlikely that you would become infected with any of these drug resistant bacteria. In the hospital, we primarily "gown up" to prevent spreading the infections to other patients rather than for the prevention of contracting the infection ourselves.

In fact, in my facility, visitors are not required to gown up because we assume they're only there to visit one person and not go from room to room. I can't necessarily say that makes sense, but that's the way we do it.

And remember, hand hygiene really is the most important aspect to preventing the spread of any type of bacteria!

As you go through school you will have those moments of, "Dang! I wish I'd known that three months ago!" and have them often. You don't say what kind of facility you work at, but if you don't have patients with lines, drains, etc. and they generally have intact skin, the risk to them (which is really what we're talking about most of the time re using precautions) is not great.

As to you -- well, you been sick with MRSA, VRE, etc. lately? No? There's your answer.