Nurses with asthma, i have a question...

Nurses Disabilities

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Hi! I am a new RN and I have mild asthma. If I am going to apply to a hospital for work, should i tell my employer/s that I have asthma? Or should I just keep it to myself? Will a hospital turn down an application if a nurse has asthma??

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

I have asthma and didn't declare it, however when completing medical insurance forms I would declare it.

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Specializes in ICU, telemetry, LTAC.

I wouldn't declare it unless you need to use a portable nebulizer in the middle of a shift in order to complete it. OR, if you're unlucky and the "floor guy" tries to do your unit's floors on the nights you work. In which case go straight to HR and let them know that's a nono, you have to be able to breathe to get through a shift.

I don't allow others to do too much spraying and when I do go on a cleaning spree, I open doors and turn on fans, maybe wear a mask.

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Specializes in Oncology.

I see no reason to tell. My doctor classifies my asthma as "severe" (though I've seen WAY worse) and it barely effects my job at all. I am pretty well controlled on meds though if I don't have a URI or something going on.

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Specializes in Geriatric, Rehab, Med Surg, Telematry.

I would not worry especially if it's mild and under control. My asthma was severe when I first started. What you may want to do when you are eligible to protect yourself is apply for intermittent FMLA. You should be eligible after working for one year and it just says you may need to take off for your asthma and if you call off for that they can not hold that against you. You do not have to disclose this information though and I would not inquire about the FMLA until you are there a year.

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Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

I've had asthma most of my life, and the only times it's really affected me at work was when they shampooed the carpets at this one hospital where I worked. They used some chemical that went straight to my airways and attacked them so ferociously that RT sometimes had to come out and give me a Duoneb treatment so I could finish my shift.

Once I had such a bad flareup that my sats dropped into the upper 70s and I wound up in my own ER.......after that, they scheduled the carpet cleaning for my evenings off. I STILL wonder how badly it affected some of the respiratory patients, if it did such a number on me!:icon_roll

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Specializes in Med-Surg, mostly.

If it is chemicals that make your asthma react, you may want to let your manager know. Because if you're there when they decide to strip the floors, or disenfect a room that held an isolation patient, or use a strong industrial-strength glue,(speaking from past experience) and you have to either go to the ER, or go home..then you have to come clean.

I have gone home before d/t glue odor in the air ducts and floor stripper. I also wondered how the respiratory pts. tolerated it!

Always, always carry your inhaler/med-neb solution with you. You can always go into an empty room and help yourself!

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