Is Nursing for me if I get sick often?

[MiaNJ]

I just started a nursing program, and am enjoying the courses..but now have doubts if this profession is for me.

I am generally very healthy, but get acute bronchitis at least every year. This is even with the Flu shot, that I got in Nov.

My doc said I have acute bronchitis, but it's not bacterial. It's viral, and I just have to deal with the symptoms..but even with medication, the cough is hard to control. Sometimes during the day, I have to cough for several minutes.

I also use albuterol and this helps somewhat, but I've had this cough for about 3 weeks now. I've read that for some people with acute bronchitis, the cough can last weeks.

I know I got the virus from others in school who were sick. They seem ok now, but my cough persists..which is why I hate getting sick.

My doc said it's just the way my body deals with it and i just have to 'wait' it out..while using albuterol and some cough medicine..which don't always work well.

So now I wonder what would happen when I'm working with patients who have a cold..and I seem to get it easily. Even if I wash my hands, etc..since it's a viral infection and I seem to get it just by breathing air close to others that are sick.

I don't want to be a nurse who coughs for weeks..and risk getting my patients sick..or other nurses, etc.

I really want to be a nurse and enjoy caring for people, but if I get sick every year for weeks ( I can't take all that time OFF work)..is nursing the profession for me?

I know how sick I get with bronchitis but I didn't think of this when applying to nursing school, since I was so interested in studying nursing.

But now in my first semester, and having this cough for so long..I am sadly wondering if I made a mistake in entering nursing.

[tinyrita]

Thats for me to know.HEHEhe. Its a combination of real science with poisonous drugs.American healthcare is relatively useless.

As a matter of fact go to http://wbai.org/ (archives)at noon Eastern time and listen to one of the most eminent Cancer doctors in existence.Nurses know nothing.They just regurgitate what they have been told.Sure they know physiology, but the drugs and useless surgeries are a sin.Listen to Doctor Majid.

http://www.majidali.com/

Even he will tell you most doctors are idiots.And healthcare in America is a sad joke.

Lots of pretty pills with really cool sounding names.Huge amount of technology and they can hardly cure an ingrown toe-nail.

Keep taking those drugs and eating all that irradiateed American food.

http://themeatrix.com/

Wake up from your dream.

[angel337, MSN, RN]

Tinyrita,

Wow! You seem awfully jaded for a nursing student (that is what your profile states). What gives?

it's called trolling. this is when people post the most negative and offensive thing possible to stir up a debate or other negative posts. just ignore it.

[Dorito, ASN, RN]

I was sick for nearly a year after I graduated from nursing school. I worked in Pediatrics and had one cold after another. It seemed when I had been there nearly a year it stopped. I had built up immunity to a lot. I am rarely ever sick though I usually get one bad URI a year. When I went back to school 15 years later I took a microbiology class and you wouldn't believe the cultures that came from me....and I felt perfectly healthy! The instructor saw the results and the first thing he asked was if I had worked in a healthcare facility for a long time...not only will you build up your immunity, but you'll build up your families immunity as well. My daughter has NEVER had strep throat and I think it's because she's been exposed to that bug so much she probably never will! It's a great profession and I wouldn't give it up for the world.