Ever been poked by a syringe? What about HIV infection? Worried?

[glassskyrising]

There is an elevated risk working around patients everyday as nurses do. Unfortunately some of us will become infected by a virus in our career. What type of compensation, if any, do employers offer to their employees if one were to contract such a horrible virus such as HIV? I do know the contaminated employee probably could no longer work for a health care facility after diagnosis has been established. No job, no money and marked as a walking dead man/woman. Geez, what a bargain!

[gwenith, BSN, RN]

Compensation - what compensation???? First you have to prove you got it at work and second - you better have a reason why you were not observing "standard precautions". The "high profile" infections such as HIV and Sars can be reasonably easy to prove that you contracted it at work. but what about influenza? or any of the "community Aquired Pneumonias" that crop up every winter- very difficult to prove.

Botom line - better be safe than sorry and observe precautions to prevent yourself becoming infected in the first place.

[sjoe]

"Botom line - better be safe than sorry and observe precautions to prevent yourself becoming infected in the first place."

And glass, there are a number of healthcare workers who have/have had hep B and/or are HIV+, whether the infection was work-related or not. All reputable facilities have specific protocols for those who have stuck themselves with needles, been cut with scalpels, etc. No fun, but certainly not the catastrophe you wildly speculate about. Hopefully, your school will help you develop a more accurate and useful point of view.

[Godswill]

Originally posted by glassskyrising

I do know the contaminated employee probably could no longer work for a health care facility after diagnosis has been established. No job, no money and marked as a walking dead man/woman. Geez, what a bargain!

Why would a person not be able to work:confused: , I have been trained to give AIDS seminars to group and not once have i heared if u are infected u have to quit working, I guess i could see the person quitting if they were sick because the people( patients , co workers) around them are more toxic to them than they are to us. I guess i can see why u would think about this, i use to think about it all the time when i first started volunteering.(Boy i miss doing that:)) Like what if thsi happen etc, But i educated my self and like the other posters say Botom line - better be safe than sorry and observe precautions to prevent yourself becoming infected in the first place."

[doobiedo, RN]

I was stuck once or twice. I always used precautions but certain situations just happen despite your best intentions. I received A blood test, filled out the paperwork and hopefully the pt consented to an HIV test also.I followed up with tests later down the road as mandated. Worst thing is you can't force them to give the blood for the test. I never quite agreed with that philosphy but nothing I could do about it. Lab usually had an extra tube of blood in that lab for the pt so doc would order the test anyway. I also made sure I got yearly HIV tests from my doc. I don't work in hospital anymore so don't get them.