How often do you get sick?

[metal_m0nk]

When I think of nursing and other professions in the healthcare industry that deal directly with patients, I often imagine that getting sick is sort of an occupational hazard. So, I wanted to poll you all and see what turns up.

How often do you get sick?

What are some things you do (besides the obvious - hand washing, glove wearing, protective measures while on the job) to stay healthy?

Do you consume echinacea and vitamin C like it's going out of style?

[leslie :-D]

i honestly cannot remember the last time i was sick.

it has been many yrs.

- i delight in my incredibly intimate relationship w/God.

- daily chewable vitamin.

- work out 3x/wk

- refuse to sweat the small stuff

- laugh/smile to extent possible

- seldom eat junk foods (but do smoke)

- count my blessings...even those in disguise

- meditate

honestly do not know if there is a correlation betw my habits and state of health, but clearly, something's at play here.

leslie

[jrc84lpn]

I only get sick about once a year for about two days, good hand washing habits always helps!

[metal_m0nk, BSN, RN]

i honestly cannot remember the last time i was sick.

it has been many yrs.

- i delight in my incredibly intimate relationship w/God.

- daily chewable vitamin.

- work out 3x/wk

- refuse to sweat the small stuff

- laugh/smile to extent possible

- seldom eat junk foods (but do smoke)

- count my blessings...even those in disguise

- meditate

honestly do not know if there is a correlation betw my habits and state of health, but clearly, something's at play here.

leslie

I am also a smoker.

That was going to be my next question. I wonder how many nurses smoke. Is it pretty common? I kind of got the impression through some of my reading that it's generally frowned upon...

[geekgolightly, BSN, RN]

dont smoke.

sick alot. when my son first started daycare, i was sick near constantly! he's been in daycare a couple years now, but i still catch everything he and my husband get. i dont seem to pick up anything from the community or work though, just DH and DS.

[metal_m0nk, BSN, RN]

dont smoke.

sick alot. when my son first started daycare, i was sick near constantly! he's been in daycare a couple years now, but i still catch everything he and my husband get. i dont seem to pick up anything from the community or work though, just DH and DS.

Ahhhh yes, those adorable little germ factories

My little guy hasn't been in daycare yet, but he will be once I start nursing school. I suppose that will give me some time to build up resistances, eh?

[StrwbryblndRN]

I have to say many nurses (nor myself) I work with rarely get sick, at least not in the medical sense. However personal days are taken and called in as sick when the stress of nursing gets to us.

I myself have never had the flu and had not had a temp greater than 99.9 since 1991. (well when I had my son after c-section I did in 2004). I get strep once a year but feel good except for the nasty stuff at the back of the throat.

I never catch anything my kids get either. My hubby will.

The most I will get is feel run down but nothing to say I am sick.

I believe it is a mind set. If you believe it will happen than it will or just the opposite. I know not everything is overcome by the mind but you get my drift.

[Otessa, BSN, RN]

When I worked bedside nursing (over 13 years of bedside before 'desk' job)

I called in less than a half dozen times-once because of pink eye-the rest I couldn't breathe due to congestion.

otessa

[Otessa, BSN, RN]

Oh, I have 6 year olds and they are rarely sick so I haven't had to call in more than 2 times for them being sick.

otessa

[Midwest4me]

I've been fortunate enough to rarely get ill; I get bronchitis though every 1-2 years(stopping smoking would no doubt help prevent such the recurring bronchitis...it's a work in progress). I try to remember to take a daily multivitamin.

[LynnCraig]

I'm sick now...but I think it has been years since I've been sick enough to stay in bed for a day. I hardly ever get sick. But another thing to think about is back injuries. I haven't had one...but my co-workers...

[pandora44]

Almost never sick. Once in the last two years and everyone on the floor got it. I work a very busy 40 bed med-surg floor. I have asthma, so when I get upper resp. infections, I get really sick. Hand washing, hand washing, hand washing. Plus multi-vitamin, coke and coffee.

[ACRN06]

Interesting, just about everyone has said they rarely get sick. Wonder if there is any correlation between our jobs and our super-immunity!

I too haven't been sick since.... nursing school, where my immune system was terribly suppressed from a combination of STRESS from fulltime work and fulltime job and the coping mechanisms I used to relieve it: ETOH and cigs:smokin:...

Finally quit the smoking.

Don't take a MVI.

So yeah, no serious illness apart from a cold in 4 years. Not bad.