I have lurked here for many months and posted a few questions about nursing. After many months of considering this path I thought I was all set to start my BSN prereqs (degreed, career change stay at home mom). I was excited and thought I could deal with most of the negative aspects of nursing because so much of it is positive.
But alas, I am just too worried about MRSA/Strep/etc. I've read several posts here about nurses using universal precautions, then getting bumps and getting seriously ill. I can't imagine bringing it home to my kiddos. I can't believe I'm letting this one thing deter me. I suppose seeing my husband so ill from a mysterious strep infection (elbow) a few months back really got me.
Never thought I was such a weiner! And no weiners allowed in nursing!
Just thought I'd vent and say 'thanks' from a layperson who now knows so much more about what you do.
I am more afraid of getting colonized with community-acquired MRSA than at my job.... last year we had a MRSA "outbreak" in my unit, and all NICU staff was tested. Out of over 200+ staff, 3 were colonized. As long as you use proper PPE and hygiene, you'll be ok. There's no reason to throw away your dream because of fear.... You are probably already colonized with CAMRSA anyway!!
Maybe it isn't for you. I wouldn't want to work with a nurse who was so terrified of getting something from her pts that she refused assignments. I would also be concerned about that he/she wouldn't take as good of care of any pt who was potentially infectious. In light of the fact that there are thousands and thousands of nurses and other health care professionals who aren't walking around bringing stuff home, perhaps this is only a subconscious excuse for the fact that nursing isn't for you. Nothing wrong with realizing that a career isn't for you--I did the same thing with teaching, law, and business.
Other PPs have given you food for thought. Here's something else to remember--there are plenty of areas of nursing. Not just hospital based. Also consider that your nursing education might actually give you more information about these diseases, making it less likely that you and your family would contract them.
I used to worry about bringing stuff home; but I don't think I have. All the junk that my family has acquired--pertussis, chicken pox, ring worm, some weird fungal infection--have been from the community at large. I think working with the sickos may give me an ueberimmune system.
If you really want to be a nurse and are just concerned about infection, I'd explore that further before letting it completely derail your career. If you think maybe nursing honestly isn't for you, then good for you to recognize it sooner than later; good luck in your future career.
Thanks for the replies and thanks for not flaming me (so far!).
I agree with a PP when she said that she wished there was more info on the subject (I've been to the CDC site, etc). I think that's what really bothers me. There seems to be a lot of differing information and different procedures with it.
So is it terribly dangerous and if you have it once you carry it for life? Or since it is everywhere hospitals don't really need to check for it any more or require special precautions? If you are colonized with it is it just waiting for you to become under the weather for some reason then strike and give you a wicked infection? I understand it isn't really a problem unless you have an illness or if you are immuno compromised for some reason, but we all get sick now and then.
Yes, my husband got a strep infection (different from MRSA, right?) from the community so it is everywhere. I just don't know if I want to jump right into the fire though.
However, nursing sounds so very interesting and rewarding. That's why I'm posting - it's not as easy as, "Well, gotta move on!" It just seems a bit silly of me.
i think one must remember too that people who are not healthy and more debilitated are going to pick up the bugs easier. after i took my microbiology class for pre req's i didnt want to touch or breath anything at first! we did swabs of thing around the house and saw what grew from them! but, one also learns in biology we also have pretty good immune systems if we are healthy and i cant help but wonder if being exposed all the time that we dont develop some immunity or at least resistance to these super bugs out there. and i always found it ironic that we would put some isolation pt in a private room for their whole hospital stay, then discharge them back to regular life again. theyre still going to go to the store, public places, cruises( rotovirus/norwalk anyone?) . etc. the thing we can do for ourselves is to be educated- have the universal precautions, use hand cleaner often, wash hand often, gloves for pt care, etc. I would not let this scare you away from nursing- it is making you a more educated person. btw, the superbugs have been found in schools- one big source- the gym mats. so its not just the hospitals. just always be aware if you have open ares of skin, and treat/protect accordingly. Good luck- thatks for doing some research before diving into this profession.
MRSA infection can lead to sepsis, so yes, it is dangerous and should be treated accordingly. Once you have had a MRSA infection, you are considered "colonized", meaning that you do carry the MRSA bacteria, but do not have an active infection. Many people are carriers, meaning they are colonized but not infected. The typical site of MRSA colonization is the nares (nostrils), as it is a warm, moist environment, which is what MRSA likes. You can be decolonized with the appropriate therapeutic regimen, but we do not routinely decolonize patients.
Hospitals do check for MRSA infection when appropriate. If a patient has an infected wound, for example, cultures will be obtained in order to identify the infecting organism and treat the infection with the appropriate antibiotic (different antibiotics work on different organisms). Until the cultures come back, the patient is placed on contact precautions in case it is MRSA. If a patient has a history of MRSA infection, then they are placed on contact precautions for the duration of their stay, as it is assumed that they are still colonized.
MRSA prefers to infect skin structures, but will, if introduced subcutaneously, infect muscle and tendon as well. However, it needs a portal of entry to do so. If you are colonized with MRSA and have a cold or a flu, it still needs a portal of entry in order to cause an infection. When we speak of the immunocompromised being at greater risk, we're speaking of the very young (whose immune systems are not fully developed), the very old (whose immune response may be compromised), or people undergoing cancer chemotherapy (which causes a decrease in the number of white blood cells, leaving the person vulnerable to infection), or people who have HIV. I also include diabetics in the higher risk group, as hyperglycemia interferes with wound healing, and a cut on the foot of a diabetic that becomes infected with MRSA can rapidly lead to sepsis. Another population that is at a higher risk is IV drug users, due to the fact that they are repeatedly providing a portal of entry for opportunistic pathogens.
Educating oneself about how infections are spread and measures one can take to protect oneself can go a long way to alleviating anxiety about becoming infected. MRSA does not just leap from one person to the next, or magically teleport itself. It is spread through direct and indirect contact. That is why we use contact precautions when working with the MRSA infected individual.
Although I disagree with your reason for deciding against nursing as a career (the infection rate for nurses and thier families is no higher than the rest of the population-at least according to one of my ID docs), I do applaud the number of posts that aren't pressuring you to become a nurse. Nursing isn't for everyone. If you are having serious doubts about the profession the time to reconsider is before you waste 3-5 years and lots of $$$ getting a degree for a job you will hate. Not to mention taking the place of a student who may love nursing. There is nothing wrong with not wanting to be a nurse. If this site provided you with some insightes that helped you make a decision away from nursing- I'm glad we could help. Post at least one more time and let us know what you are pursuing- don't give up on school just because nursing may not be your cup of tea!
Specializes in FNP, Peds, Epilepsy, Mgt., Occ. Ed.
I'll add that I've seen several cases of CA-MRSA in the last couple of years. Not a single case was involving anyone who had anything to do with health care.
It's out there, and it does pay to be aware. My DS is a correctional officer. He knows what MRSA is. He knows what Universal Precautions are. He probably wears gloves and uses hand gel as much as I do, and he won't wear his work boots on the carpet in our house!
Try to keep things in perspective however. Taking this line of thinking too far could lead us to lock ourselves in a plastic bubble. Think about how many people do not wash their hands. Think about all of the private parts and dirty pieces of toilette paper you touch every time you lay hands on a shopping cart. People with MRSA are out and about and shop at the same store as us, eat at the same diner, and so on and so on.
At least in the hospital you have PPE around every corner and have the ability to wash up if you even suspect you may have contaced anything dirty.
Great points...
I actually work on an infectious disease floor. There are SO many family members who are clueless on wearing PPE. When I inform them that their family member is in on contact isolation for X infection and explain what they have to wear, their response is usually something like, "Well, I'm already around him/her, so I probably already have it," or, "This is my loved one, so I don't care if we have the same germs." They don't realize that, in addition to protecting them (the visitors), we're also trying to protect the general public (i.e., EVERYONE else on the OUTSIDE!). When I explain that, I see the light bulb go off, and they usually consent.
Sometimes they don't consent, though, and it REALLY miffs me because our unit doesn't have a policy that states you're NOT allowed to enter if you do NOT wear the appropriate PPE. Also, once a pt is d/c'd home, the PPE doesn't follow them, obviously, so the family members often don't understand why it's required in the hospital but not once the pt leaves. I just explain that our hospital is taking a conservative approach to preventing the spread of infectious disease and usually use the example of the guy with TB that flew all over the place before he was "caught." That's another light bulb moment for them.
As others mentioned, you're probably more protected from infection in a hospital because of all the PPE and hand sanitizing that goes on vs. what we normally do NOT do in public. Love the shopping cart example, also. I love that grocery stores offer those bleach wipes now because I ALWAYS use them on the shopping cart handle.
In any case... I've heard that the truth of the matter is that most health care workers more than likely have MRSA, esp. in the nares, which is probably why we're never tested for it -- because they'd have to fire all of us!
I work in childcare and the things kids carry around these days!!! I can't wait to get to the hospital to get away from all these germs!!! JK. After taking my micro class I didn't want to touch anything ever again. You are more likely to contract something from the kitchen at your fast food restaurant or using a public toilet than you would be at the hospital (if you follow safety procedures). At the hospital, at least in most cases, you know what you're going to get and how to prevent it.
But, if nursing isn't for you, then I agree that it's good to find out now versus spending too much wasted money and time! Good luck in your decision!
SteveNNP, MSN, NP
1 Article; 2,512 Posts
I am more afraid of getting colonized with community-acquired MRSA than at my job.... last year we had a MRSA "outbreak" in my unit, and all NICU staff was tested. Out of over 200+ staff, 3 were colonized. As long as you use proper PPE and hygiene, you'll be ok. There's no reason to throw away your dream because of fear.... You are probably already colonized with CAMRSA anyway!!