latex allergy and nursing school

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Specializes in ICU.

Hi everyone. Hopefully I am posting this in the right place.

I have been accepted to an accelerated nursing program, and went for my required physical with my MD tonight. He seems to think that since I have a latex allergy/sensitivity, I should decide against going to nursing school. When I explained to him that I have been working as a dental hygienist for several years and I just wear nitrile gloves, he told me he had never heard of nitrile and doesn't even stock non-latex gloves in his office. ???(What about his patients who are allergic- do they just work on them bare-handed?) I am not extremely allergic and have never gone into anaphylactic shock. I just can't wear the latex gloves- I will start itching and get a rash. I became allergic the second year of dental hygiene school. I have had various jobs in the healthcare industry prior to dental hygiene school wearing latex, and never had a problem until one day, it suddenly appeared.

I am very discouraged! I have friends who are nurses who are allergic to latex and have told me that many hospitals are becoming latex free environments d/t patient allergies. I am afraid to tell my nursing instructors for fear that they will kick me out of the program; however they probably do need to know. I really do want to go into nursing, and don't want to let this stop me!

Any tips? Should I wait to tell my instructors until the first day of clinical, or should I forewarn them? On our sheet that had to be filled out for the physical, it said "students with latex allergies must meet with appropriate faculty."

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Local CC i went to is latex free... and worst case scenario you just keep your own gloves in your pocket.

I would say thanks for the advice and continue down your path.

best of luck!

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We don't have any local healthcare facilities that are not latex-free!

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There is no excuse for the kind of ignorance you describe from the MD. Never heard of nitrile? Doesn't stock latex-free?? Good grief!! Don't even consider letting this stop you if nursing is what you want to do. Do, however, consider finding yourself a health care provider that has moved into the 21st century with the rest of us. Makes you wonder what else he's never heard of...

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Specializes in ER.

I think your doctor is being weird! Our lab has both latex and latex free. Our instructors are concerned that they identify latex allergies early and accommodate the students that are sensitive! In other words, they go out of their way to make sure that there are gloves of all types available.

I guess you should carry an extra pair like another person suggested but other than that, start worrying about something else! lol

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The school I got to is latex free, a girl in my class is allergic. The hospital I work in also does not use latex gloves. I don't think you will have a problem. Let your instructors know, and if they don't have non latex gloves you can always purchase your own box.

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Specializes in ER, PACU, Med-Surg, Hospice, LTC.

It sounds as though you have a Irritant Contact Latex Allergy. Not an airborne Latex Allergy. Still a bummer though. :(

If this is indeed the case, continue with school.

Have you had a blood test to rule out the Immediate Allergic Reaction allergy? I feel this is a very important test to have when considering a Nursing career (seeing you already have a contact latex allergy).

Many places are not 100% 'Latex Free'. They often call themselves 'Latex-Safe' (meaning they provide latex-free gloves or have a latex free cart), but they still allow latex products within their facility! These items could be anything from carpet backing, mattresses to balloons, catheters and erasers. There are over 40,000 items that contain latex. It is everywhere.

People with Latex Allergies also have cross-reactions to various food, too.

Unfortunately, many people have not been taught that there are 3 different types of Latex Allergies.

-Irritant Contact Dermatitis. The least threatening type of latex reaction, classified as a non-allergenic skin reaction. It usually occurs as a result of repeated exposure to chemicals in latex gloves and results in dryness, itching, burning, scaling and lesions of the skin.

-Type 4-Allergic Contact Dermatitis. A delayed reaction to additives used in latex processing, which results in the same type of reactions as irritant contact dermatitis (dryness, itching, burning, scaling and lesions of the skin), but the reaction is more severe, spreads to more parts of the body and lasts longer.

-Type I-Immediate Allergic Reaction (latex hypersensitivity). The most serious reaction to latex. It can show up as rhinitis with hay fever-like symptoms, conjunctivitis (pink eye), cramps, hives, It is rare, but symptoms may progress to include rapid heartbeat, tremors, chest pain, difficulty breathing, low blood pressure, wheezing, confusion, slurred speech, rapid or weak pulse blueness of your skin, including your lips and nail beds, diarrhea nausea and vomiting and severe itching, anaphylactic shock or potentially, death.

Over the years, I have known of several Nurses that thought that they only had an Irritant Contact Allergy. Within years, they developed Type I allergy and lost their jobs.

I also have a Latex Allergy and I could write a book on the problems I have encountered and the ignorance that so many people have towards it's seriousness (like that idiot MD you mentioned).

A latex allergy can be a life-or-death situation! Airborne particles can linger in the air for hours and latex particles can end up on inanimate objects that would otherwise seem "safe" :bluecry1:

Good Luck and let us know if you go for a blood test.

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Sounds like your doctor's not too great.

I'm allergic to latex and I carry adrenaline for my other alleriges. I run the risk everyday that increased exposure to latex is getting to anaph. reaction levels. But I wear Nitrile or vinyl gloves, I don't lean over boxes of gloves (the smell of so many in one place tightens my throat slightly). And the way I look at it - I work in a hospital, I'd rather have an anapha. reaction at work with plenty of adrenline then some where else.

But I've also had people tell me "why do you want ot be a nurse" when I was training due to the allergy. Well, for fudge sake, I'm allergic to wasps and bees, but I still walk across the grass and through gardens! But I just bought my own gloves and its easy enough to manage. WHen I started at school they didn't have any nitrile or vinyl available but because of me they now stock then - which worked out well because in my last year a heap of students came into first year with latex allergies.

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Specializes in Tele, Home Health, MICU, CTICU, LTC.

Don't give up on becoming a nurse. The school and hospitals can accomodate this problem. I have a latex allergy and I wear vinyl or nitrile gloves at work. Unfortunately my hospital does still supply latex and powdered latex gloves, which is ridiculous in my opinion, but they do have vinyl and nitrile available. I think all health care environments should be latex free. Employee health departments will usually make sure that employees with latex allergies get the gloves that they need.

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We're latex free at our hospital....

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Specializes in ER, PACU, Med-Surg, Hospice, LTC.
The school and hospitals can accomodate this problem.

Yes, they can, but many choose not to. Many places say that a Latex Allergy is not a disability and therefor they do not have to make accommodations for those affected.

I know of several large Hospitals where I live that continue to use and allow latex products.

They don't care.

It's cheaper to have latex than to not have latex.

They figure, have a latex allergy? Find another place to work.

So much for Hospitals "caring', huh?

People with an airborne latex allergy can react to very, very small amount of latex particles. It is different for everyone. What is a safe amount for one, can be life threatening for another. I belong to a Latex Allergy group and there are several members that are practically housebound due to their sensitivity.

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Specializes in LTC, Acute Care.

When I started nursing school in 2000, I was told that I probably shouldn't go into nursing either. My reaction varies (like the reactions I have to everything else I react to), but I don't need to come in contact with it to react. My hands will break out into vesicles and a super hot, red, and painful rash (I have dyshidrotic eczema on my hands), my mouth, eyes, and sometimes throat will itch, and sometimes I feel it in my chest (I have severe persistent asthma). This can happen simply when I am in the same room with latex, like after a glove has been flung out of a box by someone else. I've had it happen simply with a blood pressure cuff because of the latex in those, so beware. (Powder free and powdered latex makes no difference for me, though I tend to react worse with powdered latex.) People look at me like I have a third eye when I tell them I react like this (sometimes I just itch a little bit, sometimes I have a worse reaction) to latex. Heck, last week I went to my pulmonologist and got a pneumococcal vaccine. The nurse pulled out latex gloves because that was all that was in there. I asked her not to use them, so she just did it without gloves. Of all places not to have latex-free gloves...

Depending on your reaction, you can make it through nursing school for sure, if you are comfortable with it. You may have to carry around your own vinyl or nitrile gloves. (Your doc is a nimrod for not hearing of nitrile gloves.) You can buy them at Wal-Mart if you must.

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