Have you ever convinced yourself...?

[RN403, BSN, RN]

As a student nurse I once had a MRSA + patient, of course, they were on contact precautions. This was the first patient that I ever had that was on such precautions as I was in my very first clinical rotation. I was sure to maintain strict adherence to the recommended precautions for my safety and everyone else's safety.

After completing the clinical day, I returned home, showered, and was ready to start my clinical paperwork. I looked down at my hand and noticed a tiny red bump that I did not notice before. Immediately, I started to convince myself that I had contracted MRSA.

So, being a panicked new student, not knowing too much about this infection, I ran over to the all-knowing internet. The internet told me that "MRSA may appear as a small red bump, pimple, or boil." Upon further investigation I found a site that told me MRSA can start on the hand.

I spent the next 20 minutes washing and re-washing my hands. After I felt I somehow washed this potential MRSA away, I put a Band-Aid over my hand, as I was worried that it would spread.

In the end, of course, I did not contract MRSA. But, I had myself convinced for a while. I have been known to be a bit of a drama-queen.

Have you ever convinced yourself that you contracted something from a patient? Were you right or wrong?

[ka2rn]

I feel your pain. I do this all the time

[macawake, MSN]

Hmm.. The only time I've convinced myself that I would catch/caught something (norovirus ) from a patient was when I was subjected to an unplanned, highly involuntary, explosive vomitus shower (very impressive aim by said patient).

Yup, I was definitely right

[RN403, BSN, RN]

Hmm.. The only time I’ve convinced myself that I would catch/caught something (norovirus ) from a patient was when I was subjected to an unplanned, highly involuntary, explosive vomitus shower (very impressive aim by said patient).

Yup, I was definitely right

Oh, my! Ick!

[blondy2061h, MSN, RN]

I was convinced in nursing school I had diabetes. I bought a glucometer. Turns out I did.

[sharpeimom]

I'm not usually a hypochondriac, but it did overcome me a time or two. There is a very strong history of breast CA throughout my family. Many great aunts, aunts, my mom's cousins, cousins in my generation, my mom, her brother, and a male cousin. Anyone old enough has been tested. I was tested and am negative, but was reminded that I could still get breast CA. I was vigilant and did everything a woman should do as follow up. Then we hit the section of the book on breast CA and my imagination was off and running!

My uncle's comment? (He had had breast CA) Settle down before we came to the section on prostate CA or I'd start having symptoms of that too, despite the absence of a prostate!

[RN403, BSN, RN]

I was convinced in nursing school I had diabetes. I bought a glucometer. Turns out I did.

Wow, thank goodness you looked into it.

[Mr. Murse]

I suggest you read about the plethora of potentially infectious organisms you come in contact with every day between home, work, and school (especially MRSA), scare the crap out of yourself until you realize that you have a pretty awesome immune system and as long as you take care of your body, it will take care of you. The things you actually know about (like your MRSA+ patients) are the LEAST of your worries. The stress you put your body through worrying about that kind of stuff probably does more harm to your health than most of the microbes you may happen to brush up against.

Take care of yourself. Eat well. Exercise. Don't stress. It will be okay.

[Racer15, BSN, RN]

Every single time I have a scabies patient. No matter how careful I am I start itching...Never actually had scabies but I freak out everytime.

[ICURN3020]

I'm actually quite the opposite. I tend to be in denial that something's wrong with me and will not go to the doctor or ER unless it's something pretty bad and I just can't take it. I have a pretty high pain tolerance and try to just let things resolve on their own (colds, etc.) Of course, for something obviously serious, I will seek medical advice. Maybe it's because I'm an ICU nurse, but I have little patience for "drama queens" and my husband is the biggest one I know :). I tend to see it as: you have a pulse and BP, you're breathing, you're conscious, you're urinating and having BM's......you're gonna be okay. I know, kinda heartless, I admit. Now, I never want to see anyone in pain or scared and I will do anything I can to ease their suffering, but the constant insistence of assuming you have some serious, rare disease or ailment is ridiculous to me. I work with a few drama queens and it gets tiring reassuring them that it's highly unlikely they got VRE/TB/Yada yada yada from a patient. Or that just because their vision was blurry one day, they (otherwise healthy 20-something who wears contacts) don't really need to go see a neurologist and have an umpteen thousand dollar MRI done to reassure themselves they do not have MS (true story). Why not look on the bright side, start ruling the more likely things out first (last contact change, maybe a visit to the ophthalmologist) and not always assume the worst? Seems like a miserable way to live, creating your own stress and always anxious about what "might" be....life's too short.

[bagladyrn, RN]

As a previous poster said, scabies is the one thing I'm convinced I have every time I take care of a patient with that!

On the other hand I tend to "blow off" other symptoms - before being diagnosed with hypothyroid and type 2 diabetes I was blaming all the symptoms on menopause. That got eye rolling from the practioner who diagnosed me!

[RN403, BSN, RN]

I'm actually quite the opposite. I tend to be in denial that something's wrong with me and will not go to the doctor or ER unless it's something pretty bad and I just can't take it. I have a pretty high pain tolerance and try to just let things resolve on their own (colds, etc.) Of course, for something obviously serious, I will seek medical advice. Maybe it's because I'm an ICU nurse, but I have little patience for "drama queens" and my husband is the biggest one I know :). I tend to see it as: you have a pulse and BP, you're breathing, you're conscious, you're urinating and having BM's......you're gonna be okay. I know, kinda heartless, I admit. Now, I never want to see anyone in pain or scared and I will do anything I can to ease their suffering, but the constant insistence of assuming you have some serious, rare disease or ailment is ridiculous to me. I work with a few drama queens and it gets tiring reassuring them that it's highly unlikely they got VRE/TB/Yada yada yada from a patient. Or that just because their vision was blurry one day, they (otherwise healthy 20-something who wears contacts) don't really need to go see a neurologist and have an umpteen thousand dollar MRI done to reassure themselves they do not have MS (true story). Why not look on the bright side, start ruling the more likely things out first (last contact change, maybe a visit to the ophthalmologist) and not always assume the worst? Seems like a miserable way to live, creating your own stress and always anxious about what "might" be....life's too short.

I don't think this is heartless at all. You speak the truth. I tend to think this way, too, now. Back when I was just starting out as a student... Not so much. Thanks for sharing your story and opinion! You're right, life is entirely too short to create your own stress.