I am almost certain that I may get some negative responses from this post but I'm being realistic and just need some advice of what I should be aware of when trying to avoid germs as much as possible and still become a nurse.
So I am an upcoming junior in a BSN program that will start this fall, but my aunt and my siblings doesn't think it will be the right career for me because I'm a germaphobe. But I always tell them that I can still be a nurse and just not touch anything without gloves.
Like for example, I will never touch a doorknob/elevator button without a kleenex; I constant bleach my bathroom (the fumes overwhelme my family; once I take a shower I cannot go back outside or wear outside clothes/shoes; I constantly clean my phone every night with alcohol to the point it has messed up my screen and hands; I also do not like when people touch me without first seeing them wash their hands; I wash my hands up to my forearm atleast 6-10 times a day to point I now have sensitive skin and eczema; I don't drink/eat from cups, spoons, or bowls if someone has already used it once before even if it was clean; lastly I wash my bed sheets everday and poor galf a gallon of detergent in there and this to the point where my mother say I'm the reason why her water bill is so high.
I do other things that sometimes I'm not aware of when it comes to germ but I can't think of them right now.
But my question is how this affect me a nurse? Is there someone I should be aware of being a germaphobe and a nurse? I believe I will just find in the profession and still be able to avoid my fears as possible. Because as long as I have gloves on I wound'nt mind cleaning up poop or amything.
EDIT: I also forgot to mention that I spend about $60-$100 a month in cleaning supplies because I use them so much that they never last more than 3 days so I always go out and buy some more in bulk.
The good news about nursing is that hand sanitizer is literally everywhere. It's usually right outside each patient's room. So you can wash your hands with that, put gloves on, take care of the patient, remove gloves, and sanitize again. You can keep hand sanitizer in your scrub pocket. You'll also be wearing PPE including gowns, gloves, face masks, respirators, protective eye wear, shoes covers for patients on specific isolation precautions. Sometimes there are messes that will happen that you can't foresee (maybe a patient accidentally vomiting on you); so you could keep an extra pair of scrubs in the car if this type of thing happens to you. As others have said, there are other areas on nursing that are much less germy too.
As a nursing student, I can tell you that I have never gotten sick from caring for patients with contagious infections. I do however almost always get sick when I'm around friends/kids who are sick. Washing your hands at the hospital goes a long way!
Also as a side note: I can't diagnose, but you do have some symptoms of OCD. It sounds like you're cleanly to the point of anxiety. Have you talked with your provider about this stuff?
I believe you'd feel right at home working in the OR where there are a lot of sterile fields!
Cleanest area of nursing I ever worked.
This is a good idea but you have to go the different rotations in nursing school first.
Please take care of yourself first before starting a nursing program. What you are describing is beyond the normal phobia of germs a lot of people in health care have.
It isn't realistic to not touch "anything" without gloves. I do not wear gloves to put a BP cuff on all patients, nor do I wear gloves to pass routine medications to patient. I'd say most of my co-workers glove up the same amount I do. We glove up a lot but not for every interaction with every patient.
People WILL touch you without them washing their hands first, it's almost inevitable. Especially if you work or have clinical in a nursing home. You will deal with gross stuff. I'm not even a germaphobe but some of the stuff that has happened to me icks me out. Cleaning a patient up and their BM or urine gets on your pant leg...happens. I'm not sure if the profession will be right for you if you don't find a way to cope/deal with it.
Yeah, OR may be ideal, but many of those positions require at least a year's worth of experience.
OR may be a good fit for you, but as others have mentioned this position may require a year or two of experience after you graduate. You will have to complete clinicals in various settings, mostly med-surge with a little OB, psych, etc. You will be cleaning up feces, urine, snot, blood, and various other secretions. You will likely see pressure ulcers and other types of wounds. Hospitals are loaded with germs, unfortunately.
I am concerned for you after you have spoken with us about your habits. Have you spoken to a therapist about this? I am not trying at all to be negative about this, I am trying to be realistic and I would hate for you to spend so much of your time and money on something if it didn't work out to be a good fit!
You can't avoid all the gross stuff for sure. And you can't walk all over the floors wearing gloves. You should see a therapist and address this because I think you will be under a lot of stress.
Please don't think I mean this in a bad way, but you might benefit from a psychiatric evaluation. The behaviors you're describing could possibly be a treatable psychiatric disorder. Best wishes!
I do plan on it and hopefully it is treatable. Thank you for the advice!
Please don't think I mean this in a bad way, but you might benefit from a psychiatric evaluation. The behaviors you're describing could possibly be a treatable psychiatric disorder. Best wishes!
I agree, this sounds classic OCD to me.
To the OP, it's not realistic to wear gloves every time you touch anything. There are many things you will do in nursing without gloves. And even if you're wearing gloves, that won't help when the patient projectile vomits on you from across the room.
As mentioned, stay far away from the ED. The MICU and Med Surg probably wouldn't do you well either. The OR suggestion was a really good one!
She can't hide out in the OR for her entire nursing school experience though. There's a good chance she won't make it through nursing school with this degree of fear/anxiety/unhealthy coping tactics.
The OP needs help. My D is working on her Ph.D in this exact field (this disorder falls under the umbrella of anxiety disorders). She did her Master's thesis on germophobia specifically.
This is a treatable disorder. The OP should seek out a professional who deals specifically with anxiety disorders-ask if they are competent in treating OCD and phobias.
Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
I'm going to go against the consensus and say that the OR may not be a good fit either- it's not all just clean, elective cases. There's those really nasty abscesses that make not just the OR in use smell but the entire hallway, trauma patients that aren't going to be clean at all (farming accident involving a manure spreader anyone?), and there will still be code browns to deal with among other things. OP doesn't need to find a nursing specialty that avoids germs- she needs help with what is likely a treatable mental health issue. And even if OP finds a specialty avoiding germs, she still has to get through nursing school clinicals and probably some experience as a nurse before she can find that job.
Purple_roses
1,763 Posts
The good news about nursing is that hand sanitizer is literally everywhere. It's usually right outside each patient's room. So you can wash your hands with that, put gloves on, take care of the patient, remove gloves, and sanitize again. You can keep hand sanitizer in your scrub pocket. You'll also be wearing PPE including gowns, gloves, face masks, respirators, protective eye wear, shoes covers for patients on specific isolation precautions. Sometimes there are messes that will happen that you can't foresee (maybe a patient accidentally vomiting on you); so you could keep an extra pair of scrubs in the car if this type of thing happens to you. As others have said, there are other areas on nursing that are much less germy too.
As a nursing student, I can tell you that I have never gotten sick from caring for patients with contagious infections. I do however almost always get sick when I'm around friends/kids who are sick. Washing your hands at the hospital goes a long way!
Also as a side note: I can't diagnose, but you do have some symptoms of OCD. It sounds like you're cleanly to the point of anxiety. Have you talked with your provider about this stuff?