I just started nursing school and had my first clinical today. In fact, my very first patient had C. diff. I was nervous, but I helped the CNA do a transfer with some other nursing students while wearing contact PPE.
Anyway, I am trying to understand this disease and searching Google doesn't quite give me the information I need. It was briefly mentioned in my microbiology class and that is it, so I haven't learned much.
I understand that people who have been on broad spectrum antibiotics are at highest risk of contracting this bacteria because antibiotics also eradicate the flora that would keep C. diff in balance. So, are we on contact precautions to protect other residents or is it to also protect ourselves? I know some healthy individuals get it, but in general would you say that healthy people don't get it?
I will be working at the LTC facility for a whole semester, and I am sure I will encounter C. diff again. I just want to know how cautious I should be. I came home and threw my scrubs in the wash, a couple of times actually and took a very thorough shower.
If anyone knows where I can read more accurate info about this, I would love to read about it! Thanks!
I don't think that this is neurotic at all. I regularly scrub shoes in the garage and do not wear them in the house at all. In fact I do not wear scrubs that I wore throughout the day in the house. I pull scrubs off in the garage before coming in the house. Scrubs are washed separately from the families clothes.
If this is neurotic, then sign me up!
I have an old top loader W/D set in my garage--all scrubs, BF's work clothes, and shop towels go into these machines.
The nice front loading set is in the house and they only see scrubs for the first wash off the rack.
monkeyhq
242 Posts
I have an old top loader W/D set in my garage--all scrubs, BF's work clothes, and shop towels go into these machines.
The nice front loading set is in the house and they only see scrubs for the first wash off the rack.
Neurosis, keeping us all healthy-ish...lol