MRSA and Nursing school Please help

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Hello,

I am getting ready to start nursing school and I'm soon to be turning in my physical form. I am a little nervous because my DR put on there that I did have MRSA. Will this prevent me from going to nursing school. I have no idea how I got it but I did get rid of it in a week and a half. Can someone please help I really want to go to school and I'm so nervous there going to tell me I cant.

Thanks for your time.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.

I don't know what your treatment included, but there is a specific, total body wash protocol that takes about a week to complete. Then you undergo 3 nasal swabs, one week apart. Three consecutive negatives equals clearance from MRSA infection.

I don't know about attending classes, but you would definitely need to be cleared prior to clinicals.

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Specializes in LTC, M/S, CCU, ER.

I'd check with the school as to what kind of medical clearance you'd need, but what roser13 posted sounds accurate. They want to be sure that you're not colonized. If you're clear, there should be no problem, I would think.

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Specializes in Psychiatric.

From my understanding, you never completely rid of MRSA you are just not active. As long as you are not active it should not hinder your chances of nursing school. You could have picked it up from easily touching a door handle or an elevator button. Don't stress you'll have enough of that when classes start.

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Hell, if they swabbed my unit for staff colonized with MRSA, there would be nobody left to work. When I was in nursing school we were told it was a given that we would be colonized by the end of our career.

In my area, hospital staff are automatically given a private room and presumed to be presumptive until the swabs come back negative.

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Specializes in Family Practice, Urgent Care, Cardiac Ca.

Once you contract it or have an active infection, it's true, you are colonized thereafter, but we joke at MCV that half of the nursing staff are positive for MRSA. Several students in our ABSN program had had it, and we had no problems.

Best of luck!

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Specializes in LTC.

I was hospitalized FIVE times with MRSA. I couldn't kick it! By the time I got rid of it the first time, my body was so weakened that it would come up again. I worked with animals (vet tech) and that was were the Dr's thought I contracted it. ANYWAY, I am in nursing school now and they know I had it and how severe it was. One of my instructors actually cared for me while I was hospitalized. It is becoming so common I dont see how it can keep you from doing anything!

What is one of the first things we learn??? HAND WASHING! I doubt you are going to be touching and spreading! Good luck!

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