How many times can I get sick in one year????

[ILWannabeRN]

Hi Everyone!

It seems that nurses are incredibly healthy, and when they do get sick they suck it up and muddle through....but honestly, this past year (my first year of nursing school) I have been sick with every stomach virus, flu, brochitis, you name it! I'm super healthy....I even had a doc I befriended check me out and he ran tons of labs, and I'm just lucky and get sick alot. I don't mind working sick...but that's not good for patients and honestly, not good for my co-workers....did any of you have the nightmarish constantly sick all the time like I do? In all truth, I have been VERY sick about 10 times this past year! LOL!

I'm not complaining...I actually think it's kind of funny, but it just blows my mind! I work Oncology as a CNA part time, and most patients there are pretty healthy as far as viruses goes....but what do you think?

[santhony44, MSN, RN, NP]

I think it's the stress combined with a whole new set of germs!!

In graduate school all six of us in my class got sick in pediatrics, and we were all doing clinicals in different places. I got the first ear infection I'd had in 30 years! All of us were experienced working nurses, too.

Then after graduation I moved to another state and spent the first six months or so I was sick constantly.

Try to take care of yourself but understand that it will get better!

[mytoby12]

Working in Oncology as I did for over 20 years exposes you to every virus and bacteria known to man and then some that aren't even known yet!! These are some of the sickest patients in the hospital, their immune systems are vulnerable to everything under the sun and they come in with MRSA, pseudomonas, herpes, hepatitis and AIDS; I don't understand why you think its one of the safer places in the hospital?? You better be VERY healthy and VERY strong to work there. Best of luck to you in your career, Bee Strong

AMEN to that. I have seen everything in Oncology. Be safe. If you get exposed to anything, fill out paperwork, be seen by ER, take care of yourself. Dont mean to scare you but it is NOT one of the safest places to work in the hospital. But I love working with my patients.

But I can tell you this. When I was in nursing school, I thought I had every disease under the sun. Depended on what rotation too. My friends at school laughed when I got to OB and said...well, are you pregnant yet? Now after being a nurse, I have to be forced to go to the Dr, never miss work, tough as nails no matter how bad I hurt. So it gets better.