Employee Health nurse tells me MANY nurses have Hep. C....

[nervousnurse]

Curious....have you heard this before? And, the employee health nurse also told me that like MANY Americans, many nurses and/or other health care employees have NO idea they have Hep C ....how scary!!?? She also added that many do not know HOW they got it? (meaning, if not from a needle-stick or other workplace accident involving blood, they have NONE of the typical history of Hep C patients, and don't know how they got it)

I'm also VERY curious how your facility handles PATIENTS with Hep C. At two diffeent places I've worked, many people freak OUT when we've had patients with Hep C.....one place had Isolation carts, and the other place place didn't.....what is the policy with Hep C + patients where YOU work?

[pockunit, ADN, RN]

The gown is to protect other patients from contact patients. Refusing to gown up puts people at risk.

[jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B]

Why is the employee health nurse discussing co-workers Hep-C situations at all? Alarmist and a bit over the top.

Patients are ill. Nurses are exposed to many, many things. You can always use the PPE that is on hand.

Cooties included, RNsRwe....but I think I have some cootie spray for that......HAHAHAHAHAHA!! You are too funny. I can imagine you then holding up your hand doing that "Psssssttttt" thing....

[Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN]

I fear Hep C more so than HIV--that hepatitis virus is a hardy little bugger. Unfortunately, psych is loaded with Hep C patients. But I don't freak out about it.

Universal precautions, good hand hygiene and being exceptionally careful when handling used sharps will help protect you.

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

Hep C is blood borne, it can't be spread by contact or droplet so there is no need for anything more than standard precautions.

[Horseshoe, BSN, RN]

Where I work, we start IVs all day long, and I have not noted ANY concern about Hep C. We use universal precautions and presume anyone could be infected with a blood borne infection. I have NO concerns about being infected with any blood borne infection because I use the normal, evidence based precautions, and they have not failed me.

[jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B]

Nothing like the employee health nurse freaking out the new employee on what the potential for infection is....

Wouldn't it have been better to just say: Gloves, always. Wash hands, often.

Don't pet the sweaty stuff...