I have been exposed to HIV, tuberculosis, C-diff. ..MRSA , VRE , and Hepatitis A. B . and C.My immune system..Is awesome!!!I was exposed to HIV via a needle stick.... tell me about your survival against exposure to the super bugs.
Long Term Care Columnist / Guide VivaLasViejas, ASN, RN 142 Articles; 9,982 Posts Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych. Has 26 years experience. Apr 4, 2012 I've had MRSA cellulitis three times, C. diff. once. I'm tougher than nails---I managed to stay out of the hospital throughout all of it.
BostonTerrierLover, BSN, RN 2 Articles; 908 Posts Specializes in Adult/Ped Emergency and Trauma. Has 16 years experience. Apr 4, 2012 I just hope I can get through this ER assignment without getting Lice, Scabies, or Gonorrhea!(Kidding about the Gonorrhea!)Caught myself scratching my head, better go check!
beckster_01, BSN, RN 1 Article; 499 Posts Specializes in MICU. Has 12 years experience. Apr 4, 2012 I haven't been sick since I became a nurse (knock on wood). I am pretty sure I am the lone survivor of our unit who did NOT come down with Norovirus the winter (again, let me knock on wood). When I used to ge sick in nursing school I was sick for a day, tops, before my good old immune system came back from vacation and kicked some viral butt!
GitanoRN, BSN, MSN, RN 2,115 Posts Specializes in Trauma, ER, ICU, CCU, PACU, GI, Cardiology, OR. Has 55 years experience. Apr 4, 2012 undoubtedly, i strongly believe that we nurses are superheros, for the simple reason we are exposed to so many diseases and at times we are exposed to them prior the pt. being diagnose, and we keep on going! i often wonder if our system truly has become immune to all of these infections & diseases, for instance just last week a child was brought in and after being around us at triage, he was diagnose with tb. therefore, hurray for us nurses:w00t:
allnurses Guide NurseCard, ADN 2 Articles; 2,847 Posts Specializes in Med/Surge, Psych, LTC, Home Health. Has 13 years experience. Apr 4, 2012 I've worked on a children's psychiatric unit... these poor children often came in absolutely COVERED with lice.Yet I never picked them up, not one time while I worked there. Same with scabies. Yes!!! :w00t:I also have four and a half years experience in Med Surge, yet rarely became sick the whole time.I did severely injure my back during my Med Surge tenure, requiring surgery. So much for me being superhuman!
MadpeysRN 365 Posts Specializes in MedSurg, OR, Cardiac step down. Apr 4, 2012 My head suddenly itches .... :uhoh21:
AnonRNC 297 Posts Specializes in NICU. Apr 4, 2012 RSV, MRSA, C-diff, RSV, Varicella, RSV, Adenovirus, RSV, scabies, Rotovirus, lice, RSV. Can you guess why I was happy to leave Peds and go to NICU?
Music in My Heart 2 Articles; 4,102 Posts Specializes in being a Credible Source. Has 13 years experience. Apr 4, 2012 It just goes to show you how unlikely is any broadly immunocompetent person to get an infection from any single exposure to most pathogens. It also goes to show why herd immunity is such an important public-health concept.
groanup 42 Posts Specializes in Critical Care, Rapid Response. Has 30 years experience. Apr 4, 2012 I've had a few times over the years that I got a bug for a day or two, usually when a vent hose was disconnected and aimed in my direction, or when someone coughed/ sprayed something nasty. Ever heard of covering your mouth, dear patient? Usually just load up on meds to control fever/ cough/ etc. and head on in - - accrued time off is for vacations or pre- scheduled days off. I figure that if I'm miserable I might as well be at work. ========= ~ : ^ /' =======================================* * * * > . . .
threelittlebirds 50 Posts Apr 4, 2012 My first three years of nursing school, I was sick (miserably sick!!!) for a week every two months. Sinus infections, tonsillitis, colds, the flu...Now that I'm finishing up my fourth year, I haven't been sick for a very long time! I guess my body finally built up an immunity to absolutely every bug out there!
BostonTerrierLover, BSN, RN 2 Articles; 908 Posts Specializes in Adult/Ped Emergency and Trauma. Has 16 years experience. Apr 4, 2012 A CNA was helping me with a patient, he had spent the whole day just "Freaked" about the high number of Scabies patients on the floor. (I had been really freaked with just one). They are all secondary infections to their main admitting problem of course. This guy helping is always the jokester, and really keeps the day going, and he really got a kick out of my "ER April Fool's Prank" (I was the Victim), and I had to get some sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeet revenge. You know what I did.As we were exiting the room to go roll a trapeze frame from an old unit that was no longer in order (staff uses these rooms as sleep rooms when on call), I told him I thought I seen one of those "things" jump on his shirt (in a most concerned and freaked out voice/look). Before I could even say "Gotcha!" he was out of his scrub shirt, and had kicked one of his shoes off, and was working on his knot on the pants! (Hahahaha Real funny!). . . . . . until a 3rd year resident walked through the double doors, . . . and said, "You guys need a minute? I can come back? . . . .I said, "Gotcha!" (the intern very puzzled with disgusted look on his face by now). . .Intern, "well . . . . .Ok? . . . .I guess . . . ? walking off very fast! CNA bellered "Busssssssted!"I can't escape being the butt of a bad joke even if I'm the owner of the punchline! My Wife peed on herself when I told her.
