Risk of getting your family members sick?

Nurses General Nursing

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Hi everyone, i am currently working on my ADN right now and i'm starting to learn more about the hospital setting and how it tends to have many pathogens. I have no doubt that i want to be a nurse, but my biggest concern is that i might spread something to my significant other or my children (don't have any yet). I am aware that MRSA colonizes in some facilities and respiratory infections are common as well. I'm told that we build up an immunity to it and that we should be fine, however im still worried that it can spread to my family members and im still not sure how serious it can be. I did some research on my own but id appreciate if someone can give me some insight and clarify some things.

I've research that we should clean our scrubs right away when we get home, if i take them off and throw it in the "dirty pile" how much of a threat is it of causing an infection to other people? i wouldn't want to throw it in the washer every single day due to bills, so if you have a method that works, can you please share. and for shoes i plan to like.. soak em with alcohol or something before bringing them in the house, will that work?

should i wash the scrubs alone?

How serious is MRSA really and should i be worry that it can spread to people in my household if i catch it? is it easily spreaded? can it be suppressed enough? What about the norovirus?

When someone is on TB prophylaxis.. what exactly is being done?

I just really like to know how serious some diseases are that i'm likely or could get, can it be beaten, if it can't really be rid of how likely am i to spread it to my family?

what are some precautions or tips that i can take to prevent my love ones of being infected with something that i might've caught?

Thank you guys, i really do appreciate it if anyone can give me some info or insight.

and please be honest, i like to know what i'm really up against.

Oh yeah, menus are worse than restrooms or shopping carts for germs. So are communal condiment bottles. Always sanitize after touching.

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Specializes in Labor & Delivery, Med-surg.

I have a changing station in my garage. I leave my shoes and used unies there and collect the dirty ones in a laundry basket there. When I'm out of new ones I wash them separately and bleach my machine following and dry them on high heat. (I keep the clean ones inside.) I scrub my hands and arms in the laundry room sink using a separate towel before I change out of my housecoat. I try to never touch my face at work. Have only gotten sick from work once in 40 years. That was before I realized the dangers of nebulizers. The patient had pneumonia and wouldn't keep the mask on so I stood there holding it for her without a mask. Have seen lots of MRSA, VRE, TB, HIV, even one case of leprosy (Hanson's Disease). Take the necessary precautions and you will be ok. Maybe I overdo it, but I am obsessed with not passing work bugs to my family.

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Oh yeah, menus are worse than restrooms or shopping carts for germs. So are communal condiment bottles. Always sanitize after touching.

Oh you are so right!! I used to be a waitress during high school and we rarely cleaned the menus, salt and pepper shakers, condiment bottles. I didn't know any better back then.

Have you ever reached for the salt shaker and found it to be sticky?? :nailbiting:

(I may have picked the wrong smilie . . . don't put your fingers in your mouth after touching the salt shaker!) ;)

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I have a changing station in my garage. I leave my shoes and used unies there and collect the dirty ones in a laundry basket there. When I'm out of new ones I wash them separately and bleach my machine following and dry them on high heat. (I keep the clean ones inside.) I scrub my hands and arms in the laundry room sink using a separate towel before I change out of my housecoat. I try to never touch my face at work. Have only gotten sick from work once in 40 years. That was before I realized the dangers of nebulizers. The patient had pneumonia and wouldn't keep the mask on so I stood there holding it for her without a mask. Have seen lots of MRSA, VRE, TB, HIV, even one case of leprosy (Hanson's Disease). Take the necessary precautions and you will be ok. Maybe I overdo it, but I am obsessed with not passing work bugs to my family.

I work with ID patients. Yes, this is overkill but hey, you do what works for you!! :)

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Specializes in Private Duty Pediatrics.

Most of my clients are respiratory - trachs, vents, etc - and many have pseudomonas, MRSA, or VRE. I don't get sick from taking care of them. My two worst times for infection are when school starts in the fall (the siblings bring home the crud), and Christmas vacation (family members from out of state bring in new bugs). Once my immune system learns to recognize the new bugs, I'm fine.

Wash your hands and do all the things that keep your immune system healthy, and you'll be fine.

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Thank you for all your responses guys! Can't believe there's this much feedback. Glad to know you guys are out here looking out and guiding other nurses out there. I hope to have this much support in the real world, but i know there's always bad apples in the working world. Thank you guys again for your choices to be nurses, i'm sure you don't get much appreciation.

Sorry again for the mix up with the username, like other websites i just tried to make one up. Didn't know it's used to state your title.

ill try to be less paranoid, and yes Jen microbiology made me realize how oblivious i was to the many pathogens out there and when i did research on it it didnt really make me feel better. hopefully me and people around me will be fine with PPE and little precautions with my scrubs and shoes.

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Btw, i cant edit my name for another year, but at least it says soon2b

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Specializes in TBI and SCI.

I personally keep my scrubs separate. And just wash them all once a week. But I have 4 sets of scrubs... and I wash it with my socks, undies and undershirts. All in cold water ( just to keep the dark colors fresh).

In nursing school I know it's harder, you have a uniform and only a few so it's a small pile, but in reality you're not exposed to many pt in one day so you can wear probably your pants twice if you didn't get splashed and your too go based on your judgement. Did you reposition a pt? Did you do personal care? Things that would have gotten on you?

I was thinking about this the other day actually... think about people who live at home... the families aren't getting sick. People with cents and g tubes are at home sometimes with a nurse 24houra a day and so just fine- both nurse and pt.

Don't stress too much. Unless you got vomit, poop or pee you're fine to wash them together.

As you start to work and gather a large amount of scrubs you will be able to make a separate pile.

Don't wear them around the house tho. I usually take off my top when I get in the car.

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Specializes in TBI and SCI.

Yea instructors want you to be scared of everything. One of my clinical instructors said she would make her husband, who is also a nurse, change his clothes outside before coming in the house?? And his shoes in a bag.

I was in school and was like ok lady that's too much.

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Yeah I have to use them. If they are out at one entrance, I push my cart to the other entrance. They usually don't run out at the same time.[/quote'] Unless you are at Wal-Mart, but that's a whole new thread...I'm at the point that I'll pay more to shop at Publix. I won't always call it "a pleasure", but it beats being hit by a cart full of nothing but beef jerky and natural ice beer or a cart with a microwave with no "I'm sorry" (my experience s with WallyWorld)
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Oh you are so right!! I used to be a waitress during high school and we rarely cleaned the menus, salt and pepper shakers, condiment bottles. I didn't know any better back then.

Have you ever reached for the salt shaker and found it to be sticky?? :nailbiting:

(I may have picked the wrong smilie . . . don't put your fingers in your mouth after touching the salt shaker!) ;)

My daughter prefers her food "clean" no condiments. Thank goodness, because the thumbs still finds her mouth. As I mentioned earlier, she informed me that "Chucky was sticky"....I don't like that mouse!

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Specializes in IDD, and private duty.
Follow the appropriate precautions, wash hands often, take your shoes off before you walk around your house, launder your scrubs on hot, and shower when you get home. You should be fine.

All of the above, but I also sprayed Lysol or another disinfectant spray on my shoes when I got to my car. I kept the bottle in my floor board sat on the seat with my feet outside the car and sprayed them. Took less than 30 seconds. I DO realize though, that this was probably over kill, lol. But I too had some really scary instructors who actually told us to do the shoe thing as well as all of the steps listed above. So it just became habit, mostly because, mentally I NEEDED to spray and wash away the memory of all the hacking, retching, sneezing, bms, etc. before I could go to bed in the morning in my nice cool, crisp sheets after my night shift.

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