Caring for an HIV patient w/ a cold/flu?

[milan18400]

So I am in my first semester of nursing school. I have clinical on Thurs and Fri and yesterday in class I was clearly very under the weather. I have a very nasty cold. Our teacher told us that we need to make sure we're at clinical unless we have H1N1. That even with the regular flu it's mandatory we go to clinical. Well today I got put with an HIV pos person and I was terrified for his health. I couldn't stop thinking about how innappropriate it was for me to be caring for anyone let alone him when I am sick.

Am I making a big deal out of it or what. I just am feeling so like guilty that I just did something I shouldn't have. My wife said to call the hospital and talk to someone. She says it's insane for this to be happening. I mentioned it to my teacher and she just said I didn't look sick. I had to leave the classroom twice yesterday because I was coughing so much the teacher had to pause.

[~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN]

Seems shady to me. I mean we have policy that we can not miss more then 2 clinicals per semester. That is all we are alloted to make up and if you get the flu and miss more then 2 you are still out because policy is policy they say.

With that said though, we ARE allowed to miss two no matter what the reason. If I wanted to miss one as a personal day then I can do that. If I have a cold I can do that. If we have the flu we are told we are NOT allowed to come to school or class. The teacher said no taking Motrin and Tylenol to take away the fever either and they will know LOL. It doesn't matter what kind of flu we have, the flu is flu.

[hiddencatRN, BSN, RN]

Requiring you to come to clinical sick unless you have H1N1 is irresponsible. Is this your instructor's policy or the school policy? I'd be inclined to talk to someone in charge and ask them to clarify. Maybe cough in their office a bit while you're there >:-|

My school's policy is that you stay home when you are sick. You have to make up missed clinicals and if you miss more than one, you have to pay for your makeups.

Definitely check with someone higher up on this.

[Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN]

When I was in school, we could miss one clinical. If we missed more than that--sick or not--we ran the risk of failing clinical and this the course. That being said, we were asked not to come to clinical if we had a fever or anything contagious.

I would have told my CI that I was sick, and requested a different patient for the sake of the HIV patient's safety.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

My school requires all students to arrive to our scheduled clinical rotations regardless of their current health status. All sick students and those of us who have not received the seasonal influenza shot must wear masks during our entire clinical shifts.