Ever get infection/ disease from a patient??

Editorial Team / Admin · Nov 7, 2007

I never have contracted anything from a patient in my care.

Sean04 · Nov 7, 2007

Caught scabies once from a homeless man when I worked med- surg.

santhony44, MSN, RN, NP · Nov 7, 2007

I got head lice, doing school nursing stuff.

Many colds; one as a graduate student. It led to my first ear infection in 30 years!

I have also acquired GI bugs from patients.

I don't think I ever caught anything in the hospital; it's been clinic patients that have shared their bugs. (Well, except for the one kid with literal bugs!!!) They've been pretty much garden-variety stuff, and it rarely happens now.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Nov 7, 2007

after reading some of the nursing "horror stories" thread about being pooped/ puked/ peed/ bled/ and ejaculated on, i was wondering if anyone has caught an infectious disease or illness from a patient before? hopefully that stuff doesn't happen every day!!
rhonda

right after we were married, dh jabbed himself with a needle from a patient with hiv and hepatitis c. (the patient's husband grabbed his arm just as he had drawn blood cultures from the patient.) wearing a condom until all the hiv tests came back (negative, thank god) ended our dream of having our own child. (i was 43 at the time.)

and dh was cleaning up a patient with c diff, and she had projectile diarrhea right in his face. he developed c diff which triggered ulcerative colitis. he nearly died before it was diagnosed! he was out of work (and without pay) for three months, taking oral vancomycin for the c diff. even with insurance, the vanco cost $297 per week. and this was 15 years ago! now he has to have colonoscopies every other year and takes 18 pills a day to control his c diff. because he hadn't filled out an incident report, he couldn't get workman's comp. bummer!

EmmaG, RN · Nov 7, 2007

Caught scabies once from a homeless man when I worked med- surg.

Me too. A bunch of us did... doc came back after we'd been caring for this guy and said, "Oh by the way..."

:angryfire

Danish, MSN, APRN, NP · Nov 7, 2007

Rotovirus from an infant as a PCT....the worst thing ever!

philosophical · Nov 7, 2007

right after we were married, dh jabbed himself with a needle from a patient with hiv and hepatitis c. (the patient's husband grabbed his arm just as he had drawn blood cultures from the patient.) wearing a condom until all the hiv tests came back (negative, thank god) ended our dream of having our own child. (i was 43 at the time.)
and dh was cleaning up a patient with c diff, and she had projectile diarrhea right in his face. he developed c diff which triggered ulcerative colitis. he nearly died before it was diagnosed! he was out of work (and without pay) for three months, taking oral vancomycin for the c diff. even with insurance, the vanco cost $297 per week. and this was 15 years ago! now he has to have colonoscopies every other year and takes 18 pills a day to control his c diff. because he hadn't filled out an incident report, he couldn't get workman's comp. bummer!

oh my gosh! poor dh! is he still a nurse after all of those scares?

Fiona59 · Nov 7, 2007

A lung infection that led to pleurisy.

Patient had a hacking cough in a sub-acute setting. The part-time staff were all acute care nurses working extra shifts there. So we set up a mask and hand wash set up outside her room. Management told us to take it down as it was making the patients family uncomfortable.

Night nurse came down with bronchitis, my alternate had a "severe lung infection" what her sick note said, and I wound up with a "lung infection" that later led to pleurisy.

Management denied we got the problems on their unit. They lost three good nurses that they've never been able to replace after that little incident.

Drysolong · Nov 7, 2007

A lung infection that led to pleurisy.
Patient had a hacking cough in a sub-acute setting. The part-time staff were all acute care nurses working extra shifts there. So we set up a mask and hand wash set up outside her room. Management told us to take it down as it was making the patients family uncomfortable.
Night nurse came down with bronchitis, my alternate had a "severe lung infection" what her sick note said, and I wound up with a "lung infection" that later led to pleurisy.
Management denied we got the problems on their unit. They lost three good nurses that they've never been able to replace after that little incident.

? What are options to refuse to care for a patient w/o what nurse feels are necessary precautions?

Drysolong · Nov 7, 2007

right after we were married, dh jabbed himself with a needle from a patient with hiv and hepatitis c. (the patient's husband grabbed his arm just as he had drawn blood cultures from the patient.) wearing a condom until all the hiv tests came back (negative, thank god) ended our dream of having our own child. (i was 43 at the time.)
and dh was cleaning up a patient with c diff, and she had projectile diarrhea right in his face. he developed c diff which triggered ulcerative colitis. he nearly died before it was diagnosed! he was out of work (and without pay) for three months, taking oral vancomycin for the c diff. even with insurance, the vanco cost $297 per week. and this was 15 years ago! now he has to have colonoscopies every other year and takes 18 pills a day to control his c diff. because he hadn't filled out an incident report, he couldn't get workman's comp. bummer!

very scary and cautionary story for all nurses.

all4schwa · Nov 7, 2007

I had two MRSA abcesses this year (two at the same time). I have no way of knowing if I picked it up at work, but I'd rather think I picked it up at work than in my own home or whatnot...