Did you catch a disease while working as a nurse?

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I'm just curious.... how often does it happen that someone catches a disease/illness from a patient while working as a nurse? Just want to know what the risk is like...

Specializes in Cardiac Telemetry, ED.

I caught a cold once, but that was from my coworkers who came to work while contagious.

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Specializes in Med Surg, Peds, OB, L/D, Ortho.

Well aside from the usual colds I did get a dose of hep c. Long before universal precautions. Now in my 3rd decade living with it. WEAR YOUR PPE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Peace!

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I think that direct care providers have a more robust immune system due to continuous exposure. When I began nursing school, I caught a lot of 'bugs' from patients. But after a couple years, I was much less susceptible. The only thing I still come down with on a regular basis is "crazy" - if I am exposed to whack jobs for any length of time. :D

I did convert after exposure to TB in my 3rd year of ICU nursing & had to undergo 6 mos of prophylaxis. It's pretty much endemic here in So. Texas, so it isn't unusual. Over the years, I have known 2 nurses who became HIV+ after accidental exposures; both are still OK. I worked with an brand new ER (MD) Resident who contracted fulminating Hepatitis from a patient - & she died in less than 2 weeks. An LVN I worked with was splashed in the face with mucous when she was doing trach care - got a corneal herpes infection & had to eventually have a corneal transplant. A lot of colleagues have discovered that they are now colonized with MRSA - not symptomatic at present, but who knows how it will affect them if they become seriously ill in the future.

Wow that is some heavy stuff.... that's really freaking me out, and I just paid $900 to take a cna course.... :uhoh3:

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Specializes in jack of all trades.
Well aside from the usual colds I did get a dose of hep c. Long before universal precautions. Now in my 3rd decade living with it. WEAR YOUR PPE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Peace!

Like you I have been in long before universal precautions. I remember the days when gloves were for cleaning up poo and that's about it. In fact in school we were told back then gloves were insulting to patients. I have been exposed to active TB and did prophylaxis for 1 year. Later I found out I didnt need the HEP B immunization as I have a natural immunity. They suspected I had what I thought was a short bout of the flu and actually was fighting the disease developing my own immunity. Well saved me some injections lol. Use your PPE!!!!

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Nothing that I can think of so far. I have little kids, so when I get a cold I usually blame them :)

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Specializes in Cardiac, Maternal-child, LDRP, NICU.

Urinary tract infections big one i have noticed when i do hospital nursing; maybe also due to long shifts nurses we don't drink water; hold our urine for too long and when we have to pee we still are using hospital toilets; i take all the precautions TRY to drink enough fluids thru my shift but somehow still end with them each time i go back to hospitals for work!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:o

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Specializes in ER, PACU, Med-Surg, Hospice, LTC.

Had to be treated for scabies. I didn't have them, but everyone that had contact w/ a certain isolation patient in ICU had to be treated. Apparently, the patient's mom brought them in!

Disgusting.

Not a disease, but I hurt my back when I entered a patients room and that patient had decided to urinate in the sink (and the urine ended up all over the floor) and I didn't see the wet floor and I slipped and hurt my back and my hip. :crying2:

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Specializes in Med-Surg.
As a CNA I once got a bad staph. infection in my arm. It hurt to be honest with you. Went to the ER on a day off, got it drained and started PO antibiotics. That was a few years ago. Nothing after that.

I had something similar. A bug bite turn into MRSA cellulitis on my forearm. It was pretty bad but I got on PO abx. right away.

Was it community acquired? Or was I colonized from being exposed in the hospital is a mystery question. More than likely I was and am colonized. The NP also did an drainage, and treated my nares since that's where colonies like to live.

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.

i've had lice a few times!

dh got c. diff from a patient. he was sick for months, having as many as 30 stools a day and unable to absorb any nutrition from his food. he missed three months of work and went into serious debt trying to survive without income and buy antibiotics. (even with insurance, oral vancomycin was $300/week at that time!) the c diff triggered ulcerative colitis, and he now has a chronic illness requiring over a dozen pills per day to keep controlled. i'm just grateful that he survived -- his doctors weren't sure he would!

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Specializes in PICU.

I've caught plenty of bugs from the kids at work over the years. My first winter in peds, I thought something was wrong with me, I was sick so much, lol. Now I'm quite hardy and rarely catch anything.

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Specializes in ER.

You can catch the same infections from touching shopping carts, touching door knobs, a restaurant table top or in any public place.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

My first year in a hospital (not as a nurse) was when I came down with EVERYTHING.

Now? I get the standard cold every 6 months (I think exacerbated by my allergies). Most of these are employee- circulated! No other major issues, however.

The community poses a FAR greater risk than a hospital.

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