Terrible nurse?

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We had our family Christmas dinner last night. A short time after finishing, one of my nephews was lying on the floor saying he felt like he was going to throw up. Not too much later he was outside vomiting. After, he came inside, he was sitting in my daughters chair, then grabbed the remote to turn the channel, etc. He kept trying to talk to and play with my 2 year old, but I discouraged it and actually refused to put her down. All I could think about is 'why are they not leaving, and why is he hanging out with all the other kids still?' Once he left, I wiped everything down with bleach water, and threw out all the ice (he filled all the cups with for dinner.) I assume it would die in ice since most germs are mesophiles, but why take a chance.

I started thinking....Does this mean I am going to be a terrible nurse? Am I lacking compassion? I felt bad for him that he was sick, and gave him a coke to sip...turned the fan on, made sure he was comfortable,etc....But my primary thought was my 2 year old, and 5 year old (who are queens of vomiting with everything) catching this. Thankfully, my kids won't be in my workplace!

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You sound like a good mom, not a bad nurse. I would have done the same.

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Seems to me you were being a good parent, one is not an indicator of the other. I don't see how being concerned for your children's well being would make you a bad nurse. As a nurse you would be washing/.disinfecting between patients and prior to going home. Let me say though that I am not a nurse yet.

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I'd hate to be the one to tell you this, but you are exposing your children to far worse germs already. You take them to parks, stores, other people's homes, and (gasp) public bathrooms (shudders with disgust). I'm teasing you, but seriously you guys are already exposed to the worst of the worst germ wise. They'll survive it all. So will you. Stop stressing about the small stuff.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Postpartum.

You are a mother first. Your decision to protect your child has nothing to do with your ability to be a good nurse or not.

Sent via iPink's phone using allnurses

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And just for giggles.... My brother in law was panicking. 'What could be wrong? What is going on? He played football with me all day. How could this happen now?'

He is 14, so very capable of communicating what is going on. I asked if he had any abdominal pain. (Possible appendicitis.) nope. I said probably just a stomach flu. He said, "that's not possible, he had the flu shot." I kindly explained flu shot is only to prevent specific strains of influenza only, and won't work on anything else including the mutated version spreading.

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Specializes in hospice.

I must have been a parent too long or had too many kids, and gotten desensitized, because I don't and wouldn't have hosed anything down with bleach just because one of the cousins puked.

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Is this your first and only child? Only because this reminds of those Luvs commercials where one is slightly overprotective of your first and then your second you're like whatever, lol.

I wouldn't have bleached anything either. My kids are probably exposed to much much more just at their day care.

But it's not a reflection of you as a nurse. Having that fuzzy wuzzy hold your hand lovingly maternal personality is a requirement to be a nurse, i dont think.

That comment about the flu shot reminds of something equally ridiculous my husband said. My two girls and I were sick with a cold/cough and he's all "oh it's a good thing I got my flu shot". Now he says it just to annoy me because he now knows one has nothing to do with the other.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

No you're a good Mom. It is not an indication that you won't be a good nurse. The kid probably just had to much crap to eat. Where my kids are concerned....all bets are off. They come first.

I probably would have just cleaned up like normal...but I was a lunatic when they were small with shopping carts and those stupid little carnival rides in the mall....LOL

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Is this your first and only child? Only because this reminds of those Luvs commercials where one is slightly overprotective of your first and then your second you're like whatever, lol.

Nope! I had 2 foster children and this is my 2nd biological child. So, technically my fourth! I am not sure which bothers me more....Watching my kids feel sick, or cleaning up buckets of vomit all over the house. Either way, I try to prevent for both of our sakes!

I do take every precaution within reason to keep them healthy. Call me crazy :)

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Specializes in ICU.

Just an FYI, there is no "stomach flu". Influenza is a different type of virus. That is why many people are confused with the flu shot and then they get some horrible stomach virus. There is a bad one going around the US right now. But you can not at all expect a 14 year old boy to really understand microbiology and how it works.

It's possible he had too much to eat or it was a one off thing. If he didn't have a fever and wasn't continually vomiting, probably not a big deal. You are a mother first, and the instinct is to protect your child. But you cannot protect them from everything and they do need to be exposed to some germs to build up immunity. I know the absolute last thing we want is to see them suffer, but if your child doesn't a little exposed to illness and germs now, you will be in trouble when they get to school. Everything will hit them and you 10X worse. I see it with my niece and nephew every single Christmas. I keep telling my mom I am going to throw a little dirt on them because they have the worst immune systems I have ever seen in my life. lol

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Specializes in hospice.

I call this obsession "the Purell culture" and I have vehemently opted out! It drives me crazy how my kids get sick in the winters, but I've noticed that I almost never get sick as an adult. I remember being sick a lot as a kid, and I've noticed my 16 year old isn't as sick as much as when she was little. Anecdotal, true, but there is scientific backup for the idea that kids' immune systems need to be worked so they become as effective as possible. I would never do pox parties or anything like that, but I'm not going to get nuts about run-of-the-mill germ exposures either.

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