MRSA Tracheal Aspirate precautions

[avekrism]

Hello there! New nursing student here, I had my first day of clinicals today. I was trying to get some practice while waiting for my assigned patient's chart. I asked the nurse if there was anything i could help out with instead of waiting around doing nothing and she instructed me to take vitals of another patient. So I am halfway through the vitals and she comes in and says what are you doing this patient is droplet precaution?! The sign was on the inside of the door, I was not familiar with things like that being there so i completely missed it. I later learned the patient was on droplet precaution due to MRSA tracheal aspirate so my question is should i be worried or get checked out? My instructor and an instructor from another school said i should be fine as long as she did not cough on me and they acted as if it was no big deal but I am scared and have been freaking out ever since. I have two small children and am worried.

[Double-Helix, BSN, RN]

No, you don't need to be checked out. Most of us probably are colonized with MRSA. As is a good portion of the general public. You're more likely to get MRSA at the grocery store than at work. For otherwise healthy individuals, it's of minimal concern.

[LessValuableNinja]

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