Do you get sick a lot working in the hospital

mvm2 · Jul 11, 2015

I agree with you for the most part. My sister in law worked for many years in ICU and hardley ever got sick. But I have to think what about the poor nurses that work in ER who has 4 people in one night come to the ER with the flu or someone you are taking care of has CDiff. I think your exposure then can be heightened to getting something.

RN_EMT · Jul 11, 2015

I worked in ER and usually never sick. As long as you wash your hands, eats clean and excercise you should be fine. I rarely got sick. Oh and get ur shots

RN9742 · Jul 11, 2015

I got sick more frequently before I started spending so much time in a hospital (clinicals and now working). My children are usually the culprit of my illness when I do get sick though!

NOADLS · Jul 11, 2015

In the hospital, you have these things called precautions, hand washing stations and you know exactly who has what. In the general public, those luxuries don't exist. Other than someone wearing a shirt informing us that they have a sexually transmitted infection.

kiszi, RN · Jul 12, 2015

I don't have hard evidence of this, but it seems to me that healthcare workers get sick less often not in spite of but because of the heightened pathogen exposure. What a great way to toughen up the immune system!

I liken it to kids who go to preschool vs. those who don't. The kids who get exposed to all the preschool bugs get sick far less often come kindergarten.

NightOwl0624 · Jul 12, 2015

Aside from some sinus trouble with seasonal allergies, I haven't been sick at all since I started working at a hospital. Wash your hands!!

Emergent, RN · Jul 12, 2015

Think of it, most hospitalizations are because of non-contagious reasons. COPD, CHF, Gallbladder, pancreatitis, renal failure, back surgery, colon resection, SBO, renal failure, respiratory failure, MI, CABG, cardiac cath, cellulitis, trauma, etc. You have some pneumonia, but healthy, strong people don't get it, just like no one else in their family will get it.

I work in the ER and I am exposed to more everyday things. Clinic workers also are. I rarely get sick..

emtb2rn, BSN, RN, EMT-B · Jul 12, 2015

My mrsa is jealous of everything. But seriously, no, I never get anything thats lasts more than 12 hours. Wash your hands ( before you pee). Don't touch your eyes.

**NICU Guy, BSN, RN** · Jul 12, 2015

I think it is a combination of two things. I wash or alcohol my hands 100x more often than at home and I think that over the years I have built up a lot of immunity (could be my imagination) from the most common bugs.

caseyuptonurse · Jul 12, 2015

I actually haven't gotten sick at all in my year of working at a hospital.

Prior to working I had gotten sick every 3 months, it was like clockwork.

I think it's that I am constantly washing my hands at work, more than I do at home.

Also I had heard about a study that was done that was proving that your body tries to avoid getting sick when it knows you are working... It's when you have your days off or vacation that you end up coming down with something.

But I worked before I became a nurse and I still was sick like clockwork.

bagladyrn, RN · Jul 12, 2015

I can't think of the last time I became ill from something to which I was exposed at work. However - visiting my grandchildren guarantees I will catch something every time - those kids are little walking petri dishes!