Not told about a contact isolation patient!

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So today I was in clinicals doing a new admit on a male with previous history of MRSA. While I was taking his BP, he was holding onto my arm. At this point I didn't know anything. A classmate came to the room and called me outside. Told me that she just found out he was on contact isolation and the nurses forgot to tell us. Of course I had gloves on but my arm was bare. I wasn't sneezed on or anything like that but it still freaked me out. She said that she was just told about it and that the nurses forgot to mention it to us. I immediately washed my self from elbows to finger tips and was so worried. I just bothers me that they "forgot" to tell us. I went and got all the isolation stuff, gowns, disposable stethescope, etc. and put everything in the room and put the sign on the door, wiped down all my equipment used. I then came home and bleached my whites in hot water. I know it probably isn't a big deal, just scared me is all.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, ICU.

Well darling, get used to it! It's pathetic that this happens - especially with pts with a known history, but it does! Kinda like when a pt presents with C-diff like symptoms and you have to wait for the test results to come back, by then it's been 2 days and you've been exposed! Therefore, ALWAYS wash your hands! and Always wear gloves - you never ever know!...And never wear your hospital shoes into your house! Some nurses leave them in the garage or put them in the trunk of their car!:heartbeat

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I think that most MRSA pt's go undiagnosed for a few days and everyone that had contact with them have been exposed. Unfortunately, things are forgotten in report which makes it even more frustrating. You are most likely fine and they say as you continue to work with pt's, nurses tend to build a resistance to certain organisms that we are in constant contact with. But like the PP stated, "always wash your hands!". Never assume a pt is "clean".

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Specializes in NICU.

Was there no "contact isolation" sign posted?

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Specializes in Pediatric/Adolescent, Med-Surg.

I understand your concern, but as long as pt didn't sneeze/cough on you, have any open wounds, or any other situations that required you to come into contact with his bodily fluids you'll be fine. Unless you are severly immunocompromised (ie HIV, neutropenic, etc) I seriously doubt you are going to catch anything.

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Was there no "contact isolation" sign posted?

No. I went and got one to put on his door as soon as I found out.

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