HIV+ Nursing student!

maxtor · Sep 18, 2008

i am also a nursing student who is hiv+. it is very true about the lack of education seeing within the healthcare professionals. i think you are a key element to promote education within the work environment without disclosing your own status. it is very unfortunately when we hear other people talk about what they think they know about hiv, which is very minimum. during one of my nursing school classes' couple of my class mates talked about a case study of a hiv patient, the pathophysiology was presented incorrectly. to my surprise even the instructor a "np" with 12 years of experience was not very familiar with hiv either, my class mates presented a case study scenario based on a patient on the early years of hiv during the 80's not the reality of today, presenting a dreadful and decadent perspective of individuals being affected by hiv. they did not know about the options currently available to patients living with hiv, and the incredible potential people have to continue with their lives and succeed today. i am looking forward to graduate very soon and start a new chapter defining ourselves as individuals fully capable of becoming healthcare professionals and not letting stigmas from the past defining our lives.

hale'akala · Sep 18, 2008

congrats! People worry about HIV/AIDS Healthcare personnel......PWA's are everywhere....cooking and serving your food in restaurants, for instance......need I say more!! Good Luck to you my friend and take care!

Lurksalot, BSN, RN · Sep 18, 2008

I am going out on a limb here and displaying my ignorance of this subject, but all I can think of as I read your post was "why did anyone have the right to your health information?" If anyone could enlighten me on the law, please do. But to me, your health information is private, and unless you shared your HIV status willingly with your school, why does anyone have a right to it? The entire thing sounds discriminatory to me. Your private health information is exactly that--your private information.

I am sorry you are being faced with this dilemma, and I truly hope you were not forced to disclose without wanting to. Even in light of the hospital/school being aware of your status, I think it is wrong that they are imposing different rules on you than other nursing students or workers.

On one hand, I think you have a great opportunity to be an advocate for education on HIV to your coworkers, but was this something you would have disclosed to this group of people otherwise? It really should be your decision who knows your health information, just like everyone else you work with.

hale'akala · Sep 26, 2008

I hope I don't get flamed or nuked!!! :twocents: But in my opinion and experience! Well, it should be private..but when and if you have to disclose any information on "medication" you are taking....the medications will give PWA's away. There still are lots of "people" in and out of healthcare professionals that dont think we belong in a ''hospital"... and certainly not doing patient care, ............OMG! (and particularily not in surgery!) Sooo most healthcare personnel (that I know that are in surgery for instance,keep their status very well gaurded).

herecomestrouble · Oct 13, 2008

It sounds like a great chance to help enlighten some of your co workers but if you aren't comfortable with group speaking don't do it.The facility has the responsibility of continuing education.How about contacting an ASO-AIDS service organization-most of them have peer educators who can come out and give the inservice.I've done lots of them for different groups in my area.

I've been a nurse for 15 years,found I had AIDS 4 years ago,I'm still working,I told my DON about my dx-long story how that came about-there have been no restrictions or problems I'm just another nurse doing her job.

Best wishes to you,if you want to "talk" more send me a message.

Take care

Terry

Nurse&all · Oct 20, 2008

I am always amazed, simply amazed at the ignorance (if one could call it that) of people, especially people in the health care field in this area. I don't expect every Dr and Nurse to be experts in the field of HIV, but SOME basic knowledge about infectious disease and the process of how they are acquired would seem to me to be mandatory at all levels. People protect themselves against those they know are infected, but against those they don't know, they sometimes don't, yet we are all taught about universal precautions. It has been decades since the start of the AIDS crisis, and yet people act like they are completly stupid. Forgive me, it just angers me.

I have learned to keep my HIV status to myself in the workplace. It is only the business of myself, my partners, and my doctor. I am not dying, I am not disabled, I am an otherwise perfectly healthy individual that happens to have a virus. ALL people have viruses. All. If you don't think you do, you are wrong. I happen to have one that most people don't want, BUT that won't get unless we have unprotected sex, or somehow transfer my blood to them. Since, neither are likley, people need to grow up, come into the 21st century, and let people be. Also, I guarantee you that unless you work with mostly HIV+ people....most of the time you WON't know who is positive, and who isn't, and THEY may not know either. It isn't your RIGHT to know thier status, and it is thier personal health care information. If they choose to share it with you then fine. Treat them with dignity, respect, and universal precautions. The fact is that YOU are probably more of a health threat to them, since you work with other sick people, than they are to you.

If you don't know enough about infectius disease, you weren't taught, then for the love of god, teach yourself before you go taking care of people. THey deserve to have someone that knows. Your supposed to be a patient advocate, how the hell can you do that if you don't even have BASIC knowledge??? IN this day and age of the internet, you have NO excuse.

niali · Nov 18, 2008

Hello,

There one question that I want to ask you,Are you prepared for a change

in the way that they treat you ? Think about it......

THAT Nurse., BSN, MSN, DNP, RN, APRN · Nov 19, 2008

I wonder.

Has there ever been a documented case (and we all have to acknowledge, this would be hard to document) where a nurse (or other HCP) who had AIDS transmitted it to a patient?

If there is, it kind of leads a case against letting PWA's work in direct patient care, depending on the circumstances.

If there is not (which I suspect is the case either because it has not happened or due to an inability to document exactly WHO gave it), it may lead for building a rational argument for not treating you any different.

There is one other consideration.

TB. We have to be checked annually for that. If we have active TB are we going to be allowed to work as direct patient care givers? Somehow, I doubt it. Considering that HIV is not something curable, is it really surprising people have a knee-jerk reaction? Obviously, they want to protect themselves. The same thought process could apply to Hepatitis as well.

What I wonder, is how long before we are all given annual tests to ensure we don't have a plethora of diseases. I know I was given a HBV titer when I was first employed. They wanted to be 100% sure on us on that disease as well. The other question then comes up, is it bad we have to be given such a test to ensure we don't carry diseases to give patients?

herecomestrouble · Nov 20, 2008

HIV is spread through unprotected sex,blood to blood contact or breast milk,none of which I will be doing with my pts.Even with the blood to blood I would have to be bleeding directly into an open wound on the pt,what are the chances?On the other hand TB is spread through droplets when someone coughs,sneezes etc.,big difference there.

I have worked with nurses,CNA's and resp.therapists who had HBV,no problems there either.

I believe that education is the key to ending the stigma of these diseases.

As far as testing goes,personally I would rather know I have something and do whatever I can to protect/improve my health than go along in blissful ignorance.

boobooRN · Nov 23, 2008

This is AIDS , and it is contagious. Cancer is not, depression is not, and the HPV virus is not. As a nurse comes responsibilities to the patients which is to give all the care you can. What if the patient was choking and you had to stick your fingers in there mouth and got bitten, or what if you fell and got cut? If anyone and I mean anyone is for helping with the aids virus it is me. But come on be honest , thats all be honest to your employees and co-workers. They will respect you more. Besides if healthcare professionals are not going to treat their aids patients to their best ability , they shouldn't be in the health care field. Healthcare workers with Hep C or AIDS are considered a risk to the employer, it is what is is. I had students that had Hep. C and other illnesses. it was the difficult to get them on externship. This is where I am from. Remember that Nurses along with doctors take that oath.

justme1972 · Nov 23, 2008

Hi guys!
I have a question. I recently moved to a new state and had to change employers. I am a nursing student who is HIV+. The hospital I worked at previously placed no restrictions on me. The new hospital however has placed restrictions on the care I provide. I am not able to do anything with a needle or blood period. I am ok with this, it is the hospitals policy and if I want to work there I have to adhere to it. The only people that know on my department are my manager and asst. manager. I have to have co-workers do the tasks I am not allowed to. For the most part everyone has been willing, but I can tell there are some who think I am just being lazy. It came to my attention while we had a HIV+ pt. on the floor that my co-workers did not understand this illness at all. I was very hurt by some of the things said and practices used in this pts care. I have spoken to my manager and she asked if there should be an inservice on the floor about HIV care and if I would like to do direct the inservice to make it closer to home. The hospital I came from was in a larger city and the hospital was vert knowlegable. My new hospital is in a small town and the hospital itself is small. So what are your thoughts? Should I take the plunge and advance awareness and educate or should I be silent?

My question is this...how do they KNOW of your HIV status...at all?

As an HIV+ person..you do know that you fall under the Americans with Disabilities Act and you not only DON'T have to disclose that fact, but it's illegal for them to even ask you.

justme1972 · Nov 23, 2008

This is AIDS , and it is contagious. Cancer is not, depression is not, and the HPV virus is not. As a nurse comes responsibilities to the patients which is to give all the care you can. What if the patient was choking and you had to stick your fingers in there mouth and got bitten, or what if you fell and got cut? If anyone and I mean anyone is for helping with the aids virus it is me. But come on be honest , thats all be honest to your employees and co-workers. They will respect you more. Besides if healthcare professionals are not going to treat their aids patients to their best ability , they shouldn't be in the health care field. Healthcare workers with Hep C or AIDS are considered a risk to the employer, it is what is is. I had students that had Hep. C and other illnesses. it was the difficult to get them on externship. This is where I am from. Remember that Nurses along with doctors take that oath.

You are 190% incorrect...HPV is contagious. It is a sexually transmitted disease.

Also, if you do teach school, you are not legally permitted to ask your students their HIV or Hep status...you know why? Because of universal precautions.

I'm surprised as an instructor...that you don't know that.