Blood, Bodily Fluids and Germs OH MY!

[Lisa, MA]

OK...so to what extreme do you go when your shift is done to eliminate taking anything home with you?

I am a bit OCD in this department. I change my shoes when I get to my car and only wear my "work shoes" for work. I don't want anything getting on my car carpet. Oh and I cover my car seat too on days that I work. When I get home my uniform goes directly into the washer and I hop in the shower. Unless I follow this routine I feel so gross!

[Baloney Amputation, BSN, LPN, RN]

Yep...a Germaphobe and proud of it! :)

As for "olden days"...they didn't have nearly the amount of disease OR knowlege of them that we have today.

You know, these pain in the butt conditions of atopy and allergic asthma that I've had my whole life are much less common in developing countries or in settings where there are lots of germs present (like families with lots of kids). The hygiene hypothesis is an interesting idea to consider here...apparently with industrialization in the "olden days," we may have messed with our immune systems.

[Baloney Amputation, BSN, LPN, RN]

I'm not saying that I'll climb into bed and snuggle with an incontinent cdiffer, then climb into my bed wearing the same clothes.

LOL with a snort!

[totally_nuts]

"Originally Posted by Lisa, MA

Those of you who don't shower after work or change clothes, I have to wonder what school you went to."

AS a previous poster said, the same kind of school you went to and yes, we learned all about germs there but seeing as I choose not to live in a bubble I'm not anal about it.

I work in mental health and we do not wear uniforms, just regular clothes. I don't change when I get home unless I've been dealing with someone who is withdrawing and may have puked on me, which is an extremely rare occurrence.

My kids are vaccinated, my house is clean but they still get sick from time to time. Going to school, the supermarket or a friend's house exposes them to germs. You can't hide from them all.

[Lisa, MA]

I have to wonder, if you are lax with your personal cleanliness, what are you passing from patient to patient? Scary. It's no wonder things get spread thru a whole floor.

In our facility, if a patient has cdiff or MRSA, in addition to gowning, gloving and masking we have to wipe our shoes with disinfecting cloths before we leave the room and then wash our hands with actual soap and water....not the worthless foam that so many people think is sufficient to use between patients.

[nursel56]

I'm much more appalled when the caregiver of the baby fusses and yells at the baby to sit still when all the baby wants to do is be a normal baby and crawl around.

I'm appalled when I see a 6 month old baby gnawing on the grocery cart handle that has 2 years worth of dried goo from other 6 month old babies while Mom is mesmerized by the National Enquirer!! --the drool, the snot, the squished Cheerio substance!

[Lisa, MA]

I'm much more appalled when the caregiver of the baby fusses and yells at the baby to sit still when all the baby wants to do is be a normal baby and crawl around.

Are you advocating the practice of allowing babies and small children to crawl around on a hospital floor? I think you need to go back to public health and epidemiology 101

[Lisa, MA]

I'm appalled when I see a 6 month old baby gnawing on the grocery cart handle that has 2 years worth of dried goo from other 6 month old babies while Mom is mesmerized by the National Enquirer!! --the drool, the snot, the squished Cheerio substance!

That appalls me too.

[Deb123j]

I have to wonder, if you are lax with your personal cleanliness, what are you passing from patient to patient? Scary. It's no wonder things get spread thru a whole floor.quote]

Just because somebody doesn't take their clothes off in the garage and run to the shower doesn't mean that they are "lax with their personal cleanliness." Get a life!

[coolpeach]

I work in Ortho so I generally don't deal with sick people. I come home change, and feel totally fine. Now occasionally I will have someone with a cold, or have a day where I am around something gross, and I just peel everything off, and jump in the shower as soon as I get home.

[coolpeach]

I am actually less concerned about germs now that I am a nurse. I just did the 5 second rule on my kitchen floor with a french fry yesterday. As an above poster pointed out if you wear a jacket then germs are on your jacket, even if you put a towel on your seat germs are still in your car. They are traveling up your arms to your steering wheel. They are in your hair leaning against your seat. The only way to beat it is to completely shower, wash your hair, and redress at work.

I spent an entire year doing my clinicals, and then working full time in a busy ER during Gulp the Swine flu scare. I was around poop,swine flu infested nasal swabs, vomit, blood everywhere you turned, and all sorts of bugs, germs, and nasties. I did my best, but I am sure there were germs all over me. I only got sick once, and it was from my son who brought home a stomach virus from school.

Be safe, but in the end your immune system will be what saves you.

[Pepper The Cat, BSN, RN]

I have to wonder, if you are lax with your personal cleanliness, what are you passing from patient to patient? Scary. It's no wonder things get spread thru a whole floor

.

Oh god lord. I follow good hand hygeine at work. I wear protective gowns etc when working in isolation. Just because I don't strip down at the door and walk butt naked through the house not touching anything doesn't mean I have poor personal cleanliness.

[Baloney Amputation, BSN, LPN, RN]

Are you advocating the practice of allowing babies and small children to crawl around on a hospital floor? I think you need to go back to public health and epidemiology 101

I don't THINK I said that, but then again, I don't "train" my family to pander to any sort of neurosis, either.