How often are you sick???

Since i've been a nurse (close to 3 years), i've had 2 bouts with Intestinal Express (running out one end or the other), 1 nasty sinus infection, 2 bouts of flu, and 3 colds.

Since I have been on nights...I am sick all the time. I was rarely ever sick before.

Never. I do, however, take a buttload of vitamins.

I am now a new grad (only 2 weeks left on orientation). But since I started nursing school I get sick less often than before. I probably get 1-2 colds a year, and maybe a sinus infection. I get the flu shot every year and wash my hands all the time. This year my boyfriend and his 2 roommates got the flu. I took care of him all week and never got sick. I take a lot of vitamins as well. I also try to eat healthy foods.

Knock on wood....

I think I get sick less because I wash my hands now more than ever

I had perfect attendence my first few years in nursing and didn't get sick. I'm lucky because it was a very stressful time. But I was finally able to start taking care of myself through diet and exercise and I know that helped. The last couple of years I've gotten the flu twice and a stomach thingie.

Never. I do, however, take a buttload of vitamins.

"buttload"? Why do visions of enemas enter into my mind.

Hi Lana,

I graduated last May, worked on a Surgical floor for the 1st 6 months. Besides a few folks who had MRSA or C-Diff in their wounds, everyone was basically "healthy" and just recovering from their surgical procedures. I never got sick in that time. I switched hospitals in November and started working on a Med/Surg floor. This place has a huge number of elderly pt's and from Nov. until just a few weeks ago, at least 4 of my 6-7 pt's each night had pneumonia.

The pt's were coughing, gagging, hacking all over me and the rest of the staff - didn't occur to them to cover their mouths. I had to stand there holding emesis basins for them to spit up all sorts of horrible looking stuff. I love being a Nurse - but that was disgusting. I'm really anal about handwashing and gloving up, I took vitamins, popped vitamin-C drops, etc. despite all that, by Christmas I was sicker than I've ever been in my life. Quite a few of us ended up with pneumonia and bronchitis. I was coughing so much, I sounded like a TB patient, thought I'd cough a lung up - it was awful. It took antibiotics, steroids and using an inhaler for a month before I started feeling well again.

One of my co-workers said I'll eventually build up immunities to all the "crud" on the floor, but I really don't relish the thought of going through another Winter like this one. If I'm still on the same floor next Pneumonia season, I'll be wearing a mask to protect myself...

Hmmmmm I rarely get sick which is a blessing.

I do take a good multivit a day. I agree with Stevielynn that taking too many vitamins can be harmful, remember the water soluble ones you will pee out but the oil soluble ones will cause probs if you OD on them!!

Get well soon Lanabanana. ( love the name by the way ) :)

I never used to get sick all that much. I've been a "working" nurse for almost 5 months now and so far I've had a stomach flu thingy (norovirus maybe..since there was kind of an outbreak at my hospital) and then developed a cold as soon as I recovered from the stomach bug IN THE SAME WEEK! That never used to happen to me. Guess I should start taking some vitamins.