Latex Free Hospitals in Hawaii

[zoshab]

Aloha everyone and anyone,

I am a nurse from Vancouver, Canada, and I am planning to come to Hawaii in the near future for possibly travel nursing. I am wondering if anyone knows of any hospitals, or outpatient clinics in any part of Hawaii that are very good with limiting use of latex gloves, products, etc. I heard that Kaiser Permanente is one of the few hospitals in the US that has made all their hospitals "latex free", right down to the erasers, and rubberbands. Does anyone know of any other hospitals in HI that does the same or is at least 'latex safe'? I have a systemic allergy, that means no one can use latex around me or I get a severe asthma attack leading to anaphylaxis. I know, what am I doing being a nurse right? Well, what can I say, this happened 3yrs into my nursing career, and I love nursing too much to leave it.

Can't wait to hear from someone!!

zoshab

[tntrn, ASN, RN]

I haven't heard of hospitals going latex-free, although it wouldn't surprise me. As for your own dilemma, does your latex allergy mean that someone working with you would not be allowed to use a pencil with a rubber eraser or have a rubber band tying up a pony tail? If you are that sensitive to latex, I would suggest you find an area of nursing where you can be a one-person show and can therefore control your entire surroundings. I think it unrealistic to expect a busy nurse's station and the nurses working there to meet the allergy restrictions of one person. In addition, a patient or a visitor might have something in their room, such as a radio, Ipod or whatever, which has latex in it, and that would set your allergy off. That being said, I wish you the best of luck in finding an area of nursing that will suit all your needs.

[CFwoman]

I have a latex allergy as well (Type 1). I became sensitized from inhaling latex protein over a period of months. All I can say is thank goodness there is a blood test to confirm this terrible allergy. I was having difficulty breathing, diarrhea, dizziness, head-to-toe hives with intense itching and my coworkers and managers just blew it off as nothing.

Health care workers really need to educate themselves on this life threatening allergy. People can and will die from it. Here is a link for those that do not really understand its severity. latexallergy

Once a person has this allergy, every exposure causes a more severe reaction. A balloon pops, people tying up packages with rubber bands, vacuuming over a carpet that has latex backing, etc...I am a prisoner of my own home. I have reactions in restaurants, at the local YMCA, in the shoe store, in the hair salon. It had completely ruined my life. I am in the middle of a Work. Comp. suit at the moment. I have to carry around an epi-pen at all times and wear an emergency alert bracelet. The last thing I need is to be in an accident and be handled with latex gloves or worse, have a latex airway inserted. I feel for anyone that is suffering from this.

[BIBikerNurse]

Hi. We have a doctor here in Hilo who developed a severe latex allergy. In response to this, I believe that Hilo Medical Center has become virtually Latex-free. You could email them and ask them -- here is their website:

http://www.hhsc.org/recruit/EastHi_Region.cfm

Hope this helps.

Welcome to Hawaii!

:-)

[mega]

You are absolutely right! Kaiser Permanente is virtually a "LATEX FREE" institution. I worked there for 2 years so I guarantee it!