Scared

[katy81]

I am a pre-nursing student, and up until now, I have only felt excitement about my budding nursing career. Recently I started volunteering at a children's convalescent home and love it, however, one patient asked me to scratch her back, and I did, not thinking anything about it, but she had red bumps all over her skin and I am just a volunteer, so I don't know what is exactly wrong with her. Then I started panicking about HIV/AIDS, and how if I'm scared I can contract it by scratching someone's back, how can I ever be a nurse?!?! I mean, realisticly, I don't think the home i work for would put critically ill patients in the hands of inexperienced volunteers, but how am I going to overcome this fear of contracting illnesses, so I can be the great nurse I know I can be? Is nursing maybe not the career for me? or is this a normal fear and with proper education will pass? Please help!

[DirtyBlackSocks]

Live and learn, through education you'll gain a better handle on what is proper procedure.

If you're a complete germaphobe nursing may not be the field of study for you, but I think it's perfectly acceptable to worry about doing something wrong when you realize you didn't cover all your bases.

As far as getting HIV/AIDS from scratching some one's back - knowing whether or not that was an over reaction on your part really depends on how well educated you are with transmission of HIV/AIDS to begin with.

[Da_Milk_of_Amnesia, MSN]

I highly doubt it was HIV/AIDS and unless they were bleeding all over your hands and you have open cuts on your fingers then I wouldn't sweat it.

[klhmc729]

Listen, I wouldn't say it's impossible, but a few things would have to happen for you to contract HIV from scratching someone's back. They would have to have the open sores. You would have to have open sores on your hands. And they would actually have to be HIV positive in the first place. One thing you'll learn as you progress in nursing is that HIV may get all the press, but there are other bloodborne pathogens that are far more likely to be spread.

If you're going to continue in volunteering, I might suggest the American Red Cross's HIV and Bloodborne Pathogens course (you can complete it in a day and it's pretty informative stuff), and I'd suggest that you check your immunization history for a hepatitis B vaccine. It's easier to spread in blood to blood contact than HIV (requires a smaller infectious dose), but the vaccine is nearly 100% effective. You'll need it for nursing school anyhow. Best of luck, and don't be too concerned about your exposure. :)

[mustlovepoodles, RN]

Perhaps as a volunteer you might want to refrain from scratching their backs. Some children can interpret this the wrong way, even though it feels good. I have a 14yo severely mentally handicapped son who loves to get people to rub his legs and scratch his back. He's a real sweetheart but at school that's inappropriate. DS has all the normal sexual feelings of a 14yo boy. Back scratching and leg rubbing can be rather stimulating, if you get my drift. Maybe rather than back scratching you could try a nice hand rub with lotion.

And don't worry about nursing school. The first thing they teach you is how to protect yourself. You don't have to know everything about every illness to know how to prevent transmission of germs. You'll be okay.

[aura_of_laura]

If you're a volunteer, you should approach the facility's nurses or doctor with any questions about what you should and should not do. Besides the other risks brought up by PPs, certain conditions, most skin conditions, can be aggravated by scratching. Maybe they had itch-removing lotion for the patient. Basically, it never hurts to ask :)