Although I've been a nurse for less than a month, I've been working as an aide on the same floor I am now nursing on for 8 months. In that time, I've had a couple of colds, URI/bronchitis, stomach flu, and now a sinus infection. That's all in addition to my IBS flare-ups. I wash my hands all the time and use hand-sanitizer every chance I get. I'm told this is par for the course because I'm just exposed to so much. When I started getting sick this time (before knowing it was sinusitis) my mom asked if anybody at work had been sick. I laughed and said, "well, 24 patients are sick every day that I'm exposed to, plus the other 300-400 people that work in the hospital, plus the visitors. We all use the same elevators, stairways, cafeterias, etc." Yuck.
Just wondering if anybody else has had to get used to this? Mom was suggesting staying on a routine of zinc/vita c/echinicea. Granted, she's never been a nurse...just "doctor Mom!"
I had 3 days off this weekend and spent the whole time in bed trying to recoop to be back at work on monday since I'm only in my second week of orientation.
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.
Specializes in school nursing,cardiology,and mental hea.
Maybe truly sick 1 day every 2-3 years;but I use my sick time at least a day every 4-6 weeks for a mental heath day.My rationale,Im sick of being at work.
Maybe truly sick 1 day every 2-3 years;but I use my sick time at least a day every 4-6 weeks for a mental heath day.My rationale,Im sick of being at work.
LOL......I try to take some sick time too every now and then for the same reason....its amazing how a few days off will get you feeling good.
Let's see, 19 months, bronchitis once, one sinus infection, one nasty GI bug, and oh yeah. I got shingles. So I'm not sick much, but I have this quarter-to-half-dollar sized spot on my leg that burns like fire sometimes thanks to having had chickenpox in 1975, and stress in 2006. I don't count the occasional migraine as "being sick" but that's probably because my headaches aren't usually what some migraine sufferers would call "a real migraine."
DolphinRN84, MSN, RN, APRN, NP
1,326 Posts
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.