Fear of health risks

[victoriac]

:uhoh21: This is a helpful forum. I hate to sound like a bundle of fears, but I think this discussion has helped me to address realistically some of the big risks and rewards that come with this field. Here's my question: how do nurses live and work with the health and safety risks they encounter on the job? I'm thinking of needle sticks, risks of infection, and so forth. I remember reading a newspaper article in my city about health care workers and Hepatitus C. A nurse had contracted the disease through needle stick while providing home care. And I know that's not the only concern. With the workloads being as demanding as they are today under managed care, are nurses able to exercise caution as much as would be considered safe? Thanks in advance for your perspectives.

[Katnip, RN]

You educate yourself about the risks and make universal precautions second nature; you always take the time to use care when performing any procedure. Managed care cannot make you rush.

And yes, a stick can happen, a spill on a lesion on your hand, etc. It's just something that's part of the job, but if we do it right, we keep those risks to a minimum.