Do you catch a lot of illnesses from your patients?

Hi everybody,

I've decided I'm not too old or too fat to be a CNA (thanks for all your advice :)). I do have one worry, however. I am asthmatic and usually experience asthma problems when I get a chest cold. I get flu shots every year and work to keep up my immunity. As nurses' aides, do you find that you catch a lot of colds, influenza, or other illnesses because you work in such close proximity with your patients? Please let me know and thanks.

I got sick fairly often when I first started. Nothing serious, just colds and gastroenteritis (a.k.a. "stomach flu"- no such thing as the stomach flu, but that's for another thread :)). After awhile, you build up an immunity to most of the stuff. Nowadays I don't get sick anymore than I did before I started working in health care -- just a couple of times a year.

[KimberlyRN89, BSN, RN]

This year alone I've gotten an URI, a cold, and pink eye . I didn't catch anything from work last year..

[2ndyearstudent, CNA]

Hi everybody,

I've decided I'm not too old or too fat to be a CNA (thanks for all your advice :)). I do have one worry, however. I am asthmatic and usually experience asthma problems when I get a chest cold. I get flu shots every year and work to keep up my immunity. As nurses' aides, do you find that you catch a lot of colds, influenza, or other illnesses because you work in such close proximity with your patients? Please let me know and thanks.

I get sick far less often after starting to work in a nursing home. But when I do, it's a butt-kicker. Every two years or so I run into a bad cold that just knocks me on the floor.

[sunflower777]

It seems I've had a few skin break-outs lately..uugghh!

[systoly]

Practice your precautions, not only during immediate patient care, but in the break room, at the desk, everywhere.

[fuzzywuzzy, CNA]

Most people in nursing homes have chronic illnesses that you can't catch. That said, when a cold does go around and you work on a dementia unit, everyone coughs and sneezes directly in your face! I got sick more the first year, and now, not so much. But I've gotten better at remembering not to touch my face, not only at work but everywhere.

[GHGoonette, BSN, RN]

Gee, I hope not...a lot of my patients have TB...

not a lot of colds; I haven't noticed an increase since I've been working, and I never take a flu jab. What sucks is when you catch the diarrhoea or vomiting-viruses. Ick.