Do you work with a cold sore?

Just curious if any of you who have cold sores still go to work when you get one?

I am asking this because I currently have one and it's still in the blister-stage. For some reason, I never get the prodrome stage with the tingling. I just usually notice it once it starts to blister, so I never know when one is coming.

I saw a couple of (way old) posts on this board where nurses have said their job has a policy about not working if you have an active cold sore. I work in an adult critical care area. I did go onto my hospital's policy site and wasn't able to find anything about whether or not staff should work with an active cold sore.

[sistrmoon, BSN, RN]

Our policy actually says not to work with active oral HSV. I am Oncology but that is hospital not floor policy.

[Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN]

I'm just wondering, for your facilities who have a policy against working w/ active HSV...do they have a more relaxed attendance policy? I mean, would you get an attendance warning for getting a cold sore AND an URI or gastroenteritis in one month since you really shouldn't work with an illness either? (or in some cases, can't because you're too weak)?

[NurseyPoo7]

Well, my director actually came into work and asked me about my lip. I explained it was a cold sore and nothing else was said.

[BrnEyedGirl, BSN, MSN, RN, APRN]

A bit off topic,....but it still amazes me how as nurses we are expected to go to work no matter what. I have been sent home when I had pink eye,.a co worker with shingles on her face,....only after a patients family member questioned our manager about the safety of such a nurse caring for her elderly family member,....cold sores should be the same.

[87RN]

This is a little off the topic but I went in for preterm labor, my nurse had what looked like a cold sore on her lip. While she was starting my IV, she pulled the end cap off the end of the IV tubing with her teeth! As politely as I could, told her to bring me new IV tubing and I would set it up myself. Cold sore or not, that is disgusting. I would call your employee health department and ask what your facility's policy is.

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

Since cold sores aren't covered under FMLA our hospital's ID department decided we can work with masks on. With our sick policy, we could rack up some serious points and get fired.

Thinking your ID department is not up to date. There is no way a fragile newborn should be exposed to herpes, mask or no mask. How often are you directed to change the mask?

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

Only when I run out of paid sick days. Money is money.

So your salary is more important than the health and safety of a fragile newborn?

[wooh, BSN, RN]

Thinking your ID department is not up to date. There is no way a fragile newborn should be exposed to herpes, mask or no mask. How often are you directed to change the mask?

It's not like the nurses are rubbing the newborns on their lips.

[KRVRN, BSN, RN]

So your salary is more important than the health and safety of a fragile newborn?

When too many sick calls results in disciplinary action and/or no work=no money for mortgage and food, yeah. It's not right, but it happens :-(

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

It's not like the nurses are rubbing the newborns on their lips.

No, but masks have been known to fail. We are human and it is feasible we would inadvertently touch our face, then touch the infant. I realize it is unlikely to transmit the virus.

Thinking why take ANY chances . If it were my infant struggling for it's life in NICU and the nurse had to wear a mask, I would get a different nurse.

[sistrmoon, BSN, RN]

I'm just wondering, for your facilities who have a policy against working w/ active HSV...do they have a more relaxed attendance policy? I mean, would you get an attendance warning for getting a cold sore AND an URI or gastroenteritis in one month since you really shouldn't work with an illness either? (or in some cases, can't because you're too weak)?

Just because the policy is in place doesn't mean it is enforced happily. We also aren't supposed to work with pink eye but I got unhappiness from management when I actually called in with it.

[KRVRN, BSN, RN]

I'm just wondering, for your facilities who have a policy against working w/ active HSV...do they have a more relaxed attendance policy? I mean, would you get an attendance warning for getting a cold sore AND an URI or gastroenteritis in one month since you really shouldn't work with an illness either? (or in some cases, can't because you're too weak)?

Sick calls are tracked for 12 mos and more than X is verbal warning, more than Y is written warning, etc. Idon't think it leads to termination unless you are already on the radar for other reasons. If you have a lot of sick calls it really doesn't lend itself to staying home when sick does it?