Tired of being SICK!!!

rainbow25 · Jan 18, 2008

hi ernewbie,

I know you were just venting however, when i first started work i got sick for the first six months as well. It will pass!! Just washyour hands thoroughly at work make sure your skin is healthy and drink water and get lots of rest between shifts if you can. I know that sounds pretty basic but its true and eventually you wont get sick at all.

I hope i could help in soem small way...:w00t:

ASSEDO · Jan 18, 2008

When a person starts a new job it is common for the person to be sick for a few months as they build up immunities to your new enviroment....Some buildings, expecially old ones, or buildings with carpet have mold and other issues that will make you sick. I have referred to them as "sick building".

I have noticed this with children starting school too.

Hopefully, this will pass and you will be well soon.

sleepyndopey · Jan 18, 2008

Oh man, snowboarding is fun! I'm sorry you missed that:o. Take care of yourself. I think I was sick a lot when I first started nursing-I can't remember exactly(it was a long time ago).

mianders, RN · Jan 18, 2008

Get well soon. :redpinkhe

kcochrane · Jan 18, 2008

You're not alone. Since I started nursing a few years back, I've had step, sinusitis, numerous "viruses", roto virus, etc. Funny thing is that I hardly ever get a cold (knock on wood) anymore and I used to get those all the time. At Christmas this year, I had the flu or some sort of virus for a week and now I'm just getting over a stomach virus. Sheesh!

Hope you feel better soon! Sorry you had to miss out.

bigsyis · Jan 18, 2008

You will eventually be fine. Just think of the immunities that you are building! Be sure that you rest and eat properly, so you can keep beating the germs away.

Dorito, ASN, RN · Jan 18, 2008

I was sick nearly the first entire year I was a nurse. I was working pediatrics at the time so anything the kids dragged in I got too. Now I rarely get sick and I've passed a lot of the antibodies to my family. To this day my daughter has never ever had strep throat and probably never will. Hang in there. You may also want to take some multi-vitamins to keep your immune system strong. Hope you feel better real soon.

EmmaG, RN · Jan 18, 2008

It's not only new nurses who experience this... with nearly every travel assignment, I come down with a nasty URI or GI thing. New and different bugs, I suppose.

I remember one of my supervisors complaining about our hospital policy that new employees were not allowed to call off during their 90 day probationary period without risking termination, because that is when people were most likely to get sick.

ERnewbieRN, BSN, RN · Jan 19, 2008

Thanks everyone for the replies and advice. I just took 2 NyQuil so I should be in sleep land soon, hopefully warding off all these nasty bugs!! :yelclap:

student-with-no-life · Jan 19, 2008

I feel your pain - I got sick day after Christmas and was never able to fully kick it - now today I too have the nasty productive chest cough, fever of 102.4 and I feel like crap!!! I hope this runs its course soon.

Overland1, RN · Jan 19, 2008

Handwashing and cleaning appropriate surfaces will go a long way to reduce infection. I have been extremely careful to "foam up"more often than usual, and to clean work surfaces with Cavi-Wipes quite frequently. I am not obsessive/compulsive by any means, but some of the extra cleaning is experimental, and some of it is based on a desire to not become sick.

The results (not scientific) so far have been fairly good... no real illness, although I had a very slight (and brief) GI bug last week that did not keep me out of work. One day this week, I was not feeling great, but worked anyway, and one person noticed that I was not my usual self. I made it through and the next day was OK. The first part of the next evening was also OK, but then it hit me, and I was very warm, then had chills (no URI or GI stuff), then diaphoresis for a few minutes, then no more chills. I noticed stiffness in my arms, legs, and chest, and felt lousy, but there was no time to just sit down for a moment.... gotta keep going. What bothers me is that, while doing several things at once and on the phone with a co-worker, I got very abrupt with her and really blew off at her. This is a person who has always been there to listen to me (and vice versa), and who is probably the person at work whom I respect the most. So now I feel like a real turd for something that is totally out of character for me. When she checks her e-mail, she will find a very sincere apology from me, and I should probably go in on Monday (my day off) and see her (e-mail is a geeky and lousy way to apologize, huh?).... maybe bring coffee and chocolate.

I clocked out and went out to my Jeep and just sat there for about thirty minutes or so, then drove home (carefully) and felt lousy about feeling lousy, because I felt that I was not at the top of my game for the entire 12 hour shift. Now (@ 0239 EST), I cannot sleep, although I am physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted. :bugeyes:

I should probably do the APAP and/or Motrin, and then try to get some sleep; I will make the best of the next few days off and try to get some much needed rest.

If I may offer some additional advice (beyond handwashing and Cavi-Wipes), do not try to work when you are really sick. The result can be a real bummer in more ways than we may initially believe. Stay well out there!