Hiring a nurse that's a carrier of MRSA - Can that happen?

While I don't think that someone with MRSA can/should be denied simply for carrying a bacteria that a large portion of the population carries, MRSA and HIV/AIDS have some fundamental differences. An HIV infected person should be more concerned with their self-protection, as they are immunocompromised. Their HIV status isn't a risk to patients. A person with MRSA would have the chance to 'spread' it to their immunocompromised patients, who could acquire an oppertunistic infection. AIDS/HIV isn't spread through touching/casual contact, as MRSA can be.

Think there's a nursing shortage now?

Wait until they fire all the MRSA + folks running around.

I had heard that our Infectious Disease department had once picked a nursing unit to swab to see what the incidence of MRSA was and it turned out they never released the results presumably because so many actually carried it.

I am sure by the time that I retire, I will have MRSA and VRE... Just the nature of the job...

per infection control 99% of nurses are carrier of MRSA in there nares. It's not a problem now when we are young and healthy but when we get sick OR if we get some immunosuppresant diseases that's when it becomes a problem. Yes most nurses are carrier but does not mean u actively have MRSA. Just like in case of T.B. some are active carrier some are passive.!!!!!!!!! AND true if they let people who are carrier of MRSA go there won't be anybody left no nurses and no doctors!!!!!!!!