Question about Nosocomial Infections

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My clinical instructor asked my group this question the other day, and wanted to know what we thought about it. It dose not have a right or wrong answer. "A nosocomial infection is a hospital aquired infection. So if a nurse gets and infection that she can trace back to the hospital is it considered a nosocomial infection, or just an infection?" Half of my group said yes it was, b/c they got it at the hospital, the other half said that it wasn't b/c nosocomial only meant for the pt. What do you guys think?

shortstuff

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Specializes in Interventional Pain Mgmt NP; Prior ICU and L/D RN.

I have only heard of 'NOSOCOMIAL INFECTION' used in reference to patients acquiring a hospital caused infection. A nurse just "catches it" and fills out a incident report. Part of the hazard of being a nurse! :)

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Specializes in Everything except surgery.

Nosocomial infections are infections the pt. didn't come in the hospital with, but received while in the hospital under care for another problem/illness/disease. Good question though..:cool:

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Specializes in ORTHOPAEDICS-CERTIFIED SINCE 89.

I would imagine the infection a nurse gets is a "job related injury."

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