Burned Out !!!

I'm so sorry about what happened to you. I can't imagine the fear and anger you must be feeling. I know that HIPPA causes a lot of problems for the caregivers! In clinical, we were taking care of a young lady who was a prostitute and known i.v. drug user, who also couldn't seem to heal. HIV please? Our clinical instructor pointed out some of the more obvious signs of infection to us, which helped us take extra precaution. But was it made known to us by her chart? The facility? No, lest her "rights" be violated. Where are our rights to be informed? The information would not only help us be more cautious than we already are, but would also help us take better care of the pt in the first place. I wish you the best, and hope like crazy your tests all come out negative.

Wow. I would find somewhere else to work. A floor nurse at my old facility was accidentally stuck. We knew the pt was Hep C positive from IV drug use and refused an HIV test upon request. Before our shift was over, management was there, said nurse had been to EC and given prophylaxis, and pt was told they understood he had rights, but his rights end when others are infringed upon and that he could A. consent to testing, or B. they could get a court order to make him submit to testing. The pt submitted and he was positive. Thankfully nurse after 6 months and 1 year was HIV -. Our management rocked. I wish there were more around like her.

Hey farmgirl08,
I feel for you and anything I can do just let me know. To everyone else do you know the administration at this facility says the cna's do not have the right to know what diseases they may be coming in contact with. Hippa my fanny. The scheduling coordinator just stated at the nurses desk Saturday that they decline to tell CNA's what the disease is because they are afraid this will affect the way the CNA's take care of the pt. I say this is hogwash.
Whatever happened to Knowledge is the first defense in treating pt's.

I once told the CNA that a specific female patient was a HCV carrier and had HIV positivity. The CNA went ballistic and started screaming, "Don't we have to quarrantine this woman? Why isn't she in isolation? Why isn't there a warning sign on her door?" I explained that the patient's afflictions did not necessitate being placed in isolation.

Unfortunately, a lack of understanding about disease contraction might cause some of the CNAs to treat patients differently once they discover the health status.

That's why we use universal precautions for everyone.....
mc3

Amen to that.