Nurse Quirks

Nurses General Nursing

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Have any of you found yourself more and more disgusted with random things or processes as you moved through your education and/or career? For instance, if you have kids or domesticated animals -- did you start hypersanitizing? Or, did you perhaps start hypersanitizing anyway? Did your social habits change? Did your personal habits change? Did your kitchen habits or bathroom habits change? Please, unwind my spinning head....

Specializes in Adult/Ped Emergency and Trauma.

I open public bathrooms with a napkin, and open the door with a paper towel to exit. I never touch the actual medal of the faucets or the handles without the barrier of a paper towel. I have caught myself running the hand dryer until someone comes through the door, and I catch it with my foot. I don't wear shoes inside my home, and seeing that- my friends and family follow suit. I have NO carpet, and I wash my bedding every 3-4 days, Lol(I do have a dog). He knows when we come in from outside he's going to have his paws wiped off with a Sanitizing Cloth in a drawer by our door, and gets a treat for waiting by the drawer on re-entry to the home. So, he may be as Neurotic as me now- or he likes the treat:)

My Veterinarian got on to me, he said, "You are bathing this pup too much." And we changed to an Oatmeal wash for him, $30 a Quart. But, a small price to pay to bath him 3-4 times a week:)

Absolutely! After Microbiology I wanted to cover my pets bottom with a diaper; afterall, humans wear underpants pets should too.

Ironically, I do the same thing, when using public stalls.

Specializes in geriatrics.
Absolutely! After Microbiology I wanted to cover my pets bottom with a diaper; afterall, humans wear underpants pets should too.
Lol when I was 12 we used to put a pair of my old underwear on our dog, whenever she had her period. She was 100 pounds and bled quite a bit. Quite funny watching her walk around the house with a pair of underwear on.
I open public bathrooms with a napkin, and open the door with a paper towel to exit. I never touch the actual medal of the faucets or the handles without the barrier of a paper towel. I have caught myself running the hand dryer until someone comes through the door, and I catch it with my foot. I don't wear shoes inside my home, and seeing that- my friends and family follow suit. I have NO carpet, and I wash my bedding every 3-4 days, Lol(I do have a dog). He knows when we come in from outside he's going to have his paws wiped off with a Sanitizing Cloth in a drawer by our door, and gets a treat for waiting by the drawer on re-entry to the home. So, he may be as Neurotic as me now- or he likes the treat:)

My Veterinarian got on to me, he said, "You are bathing this pup too much." And we changed to an Oatmeal wash for him, $30 a Quart. But, a small price to pay to bath him 3-4 times a week:)

Yikes! I thought I was bad! :-)

At work I'm anal retentive. I constantly sanitize if j touch anything, etc. At home, I operate on the philosophy that we need germs to build immunity. I rarely get sick (knock on wood) but when I do I tend to spike at 105 or so. To avoid illness I always get 8-9 hours of sleep, I work out at least 5 days a week, I eat mostly whole foods and drink fluids. I really think that does most of the job. From a cleanliness standpoint I ALWAYS wash my hands whenever I'm coming in from being outdoors, I sanitize after the grocery store, public transit and gas station only, and I don't always clean off countertops with a heavy-duty solution unless it calls for it.

I do, however, remove my shoes and leave them in a plastic-lined Tupperware container in the car or closet. I never, ever step inside my home with shoes that have been on a hospital floor!

Specializes in Adult/Ped Emergency and Trauma.

Yup! I am all for the building up immunity, eating a boatload of Vit C, Iron, and Zinc. It's just those Germs that survive the Hospital environment are tough little boogers. I would die if I got Bo sick- he's just 10 or so inches off the floor.

Specializes in geriatrics.

We can be as vigilant as we want about germs, but a healthy immune system is the key. I try to get at least 7 hours of sleep, 2 hours of exercise per week, and I eat a balanced diet. My night (which would be breakfast for many of you) starts with a berry smoothie and spinach smoothie. I've been practising good health for 20+ years, and I definitely notice the benefits.

Oh, I also dry my hands on the back part of the bathroom towel where no one else has touched.
God help me, I do that, too!
I do, however, remove my shoes and leave them in a plastic-lined Tupperware container in the car or closet. I never, ever step inside my home with shoes that have been on a hospital floor!
I thought about doing this! I'm the type of person who likes to sit on the floor if there's no place else to sit. For ages, I always considered the hospital to be "clean" for whatever reason. One day, while sitting on a hospital floor, a nurse came up to me and whispered, "Oh, honey, this floor is flithy! I wouldn't sit down there if I were you. Let me show you where you can find a chair..." In that moment, it hit me how much disgusting crap (literally) gets smeared all over the floor when it gets mopped, etc. SO, lately as a student I've been thinking about all the ninja things I will do after school and work to keep from spreading all the germs into my world. Tupperware never crossed my mind in this process. I thought I was going to be a slave to plastic bags for the rest of my career. Thank you!

Geez, i also wash my hands when coming in from outdoors,(usually) or after gardening,

anytime i've been out in any public place and am returning home,(usually)

after playing with the dog, (not always, but, if i am going to be touching food i will),

before meal preps,

after cleaning bathroom, (i wear rubber gloves for that, and for dishes, too)

and i also use elbows in public bathroom, and cover all public faucets with paper towels to turn them on or off, and use paper towel to open the main door out of the bathroom if it has a doorknob, )

but, i kinda thought everyone does those things, or that most ppl do these things.

To me, that's just ordinary, basic hygiene. Lol, i've never ever waited for someone to come in to avoid the exit doorknob,:sarcastic: i just cover it with paper towel. But, if something upset my lil habit routine there, (happens sometimes)

i don't freak out at all.

I don't own even one bottle of sanitizer.(eXcept in my nursing bag in my car leftover from HH) Soap and water if fine for me, sanitizer dries out my skin.

I usually don't have a bottle of Lysol anywhere in my home.

i actually CAN eat peanuts in a dish where other ppl's hands go, too.

I never get sick.

I only wipe off my dog's paws only if he is wet or muddy, though,

usually just with a dry towel. He was taught "Bang!" and i point a finger at him (like a 'gun')

and he falls onto his back and holds all 4 paws up in the air.:yeah: I wash my hands after i clean off the dogs paws, or after i pull off my own shoes, too. But to me, that seems normal...isn't it?

We wear shoes in our house. Our guests wear shoes in our house, too.

but, i only bathe my dog prn, dog's skin would dry right out, :unsure:

and also during shedding season, cuz bathing knocks off all that fur all at once. I can kiss on my dog, and don't see him as germy. I can hold a carrot or piece of cheese in my mouth, and pass it to the dog. Our mouths don't touch, though, but, i wouldn't have a stroke if they ever did. My dog licks my face,:cheeky: germs don't cross my mind.

i can hand my dog a bit of my food, and still eat the rest of my food, even if his tongue did touch my hand.

Most anytime anyone in my family gets early symptoms of colds, sore throats, etc (doesn't happen often) we just gargle salt water and/or hydrogen peroxide very often for first few days, then, it's gone. No one in my family has had an antibiotic since i can't tell you when....in my entire life, i can't recall ever being on antibiotic, not ever.........except for after a procedure, etc.

I'm very particular about proper handling of many white foods,:yes:

like chip dip,

mayonnaise,

sour cream,

milk,

all that kinda stuff, to avoid ptomaine. But, i think everyone is, about THOSE foods, right? Well, not everyone,:roflmao: my guy and i have been disagreeing for about 16 years on whether or not chip dip, after being set out at a party, can be put back in fridge, or goes in trash. (it goes in trash, but, he still tries to put it BACK in fridge. I also pay att'n how long any white foods have been out of fridge, etc.

I use bleach on my cutting boards if raw meat has been on it, but, everyone does that, right?

so my post there, in #33,

that IS all within "normal" limits, right,

that IS just basic stuff, right?

edit: for some ppl, i am probably wayyy below THEIR idea of 'basic' stuff!!:roflmao:

I always had a bit of OCD. We grab a computer/cart at beginning of shift and I wipe it down, especially the mouse and keyboard. I also grab a chair and wipe it down. I then feel I am starting the shift with "my bugs". I am very good at "holding my breath" without anyone noticing when someone coughs next to me. I also walk away very fast. I have no problem asking if the nurse I am giving report to is sick and when they say they are, I nicely tell them I will give report from a distance and they understand. I do not alcohol/base my hands all day long like so many others. I bring my own utensils to eat with but just toss them in my old bag afterwards and use them again the next day after being slighty wiped down with a papertowel. That is it. And as far as getting colds or sick? I get a cold maybe once every two - three years if that.

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