Anybody Scared to be a Nurse re: Bird Flu?

[land64shark]

Am I being ridiculous? How do hospital staff protect themselves from exposure in the event of a pandemic? This is really starting to spook me.

[VivaLasViejas, ASN, RN]

I wish I knew the answer to that one. ~sigh~

I don't know that there's anything we can do about this thing except pray that it turns out to be like the infamous 'swine flu' of 30 years ago: a tempest in a teapot. Everyone was concerned about it: the experts were predicting that it could be a repeat of the Spanish flu pandemic of the early 1900s, the government was urging us all to get swine-flu shots (which had their own set of risks in those days), and the word on the street was that it would kill off even young, healthy people. Thankfully, all the hoopla was for nothing; the unfortunate result was that it's taken a generation for people to take the flu seriously again.

I remember the Hong Kong flu epidemic of the late 1960s; I was only nine or ten then, but I can still recall how sick my entire family was with it, and how afraid I was that my mother would die from it. I remember how our town basically shut down.......the schools were closed, civic activities were canceled, and even some churches suspended Sunday services. I'd hate to see something like that happen again, especially now that I'm in health care and will be on the front lines if and when an avian flu epidemic/pandemic hits; but while we can't predict with any certainly if it will happen (or how bad it will be if it does), we can try to avoid it by feeding our bodies with the nutrients we need, getting enough rest, and of course, HANDWASHING!!

[Scififan]

More scared of other things in nursing than bird flu. A pandemic may or may not happen, but most places are starting to plan and stockpile anti-viral meds, and as front line nurses, we'll be one of the first to get it. Much more afraid of mistakes happening because of chronic lack of staff and not being backed up by my employer and even worse than that having something detrimental happen to my patients because of it!

[CHATSDALE]

this has repeateed itself in every time something comes up 20 years ago we were sure that we were all going to die of aids is we had a fingerstick or even if someone coughed on us

bird flu if it comes to pass will probably be more virulent and 'easier' to get but it will be short lived you will be well in just a little while...protect yourself [i am a great believer in vit c and zinc] if the flu becomes wide spread protect your elderly, sick and children in your family..if you have to wear a mask at work do not let tptb tell you that it is disrespectful to your patients...

use common sense and be an example to the community

[fergus51]

I've been through SARS, I've had patients with TB, MRSA, Norwalk, flesh eating disease, etc. If I freaked out every time the news people picked a new disease to hype, I would never go to work.