What injuries or illnesses of yours has been the result of being a nurse?

Djuna · Jan 7, 2008

I don't have any physical injuries at all, but I have a lot of mental ones.

Watching young people die miserable deaths in Haematology was very traumatic and I had to leave nursing for awhile. Working in ER has made me dislike people a lot and consequently I have become cynical and stressed.

Sometimes the psychological damage is worse than the physical damage.

dragonflyaltoids · Jan 7, 2008

Well I gave myself heart failure for about 2 hours after my patient went into anaphylactic shock, cross reaction to rocephin. I absolutely refuse to give it to anyone allergic to PCN!

I also have chronic tummy aches (stress), broke my wrist, tripped over my patients shoes and caught myself on the wall and "pop", and tore my meniscus (sp?) but I attribute the last 2 to me being a complete klutz!

jbp0529 · Jan 7, 2008

Broken nose from being kicked by a confused, out of control patient.

nyapa, RN · Jan 7, 2008

Clinical depression, anxiety now on SSRIs. Exacerbation of my epilepsy thanks to depression, lack of sleep and stress, attributable to bullying and violence. Adjustment of my AEDs. The usual bruises and punches and needlestick injuries. As someone else said, MRSA, eventually cleared by our infectious diseases department.

Oh woe is me...

Development of a warped sense of humour, mind in the gutter, and change in language. I was such an innocent little thing until I was exposed to the big ugly world *evil grin*

elizabells, BSN, RN · Jan 7, 2008

Got a latex allergy and an ulcer during school.

Always had a bad back/joints but now the pain is nonstop. I know when it's going to rain. I'm like an old fisherman... "Arrrrr, a storm be a-brewin"

Also always had issues with depression/anxiety, but now I *know* I'm a bad person 2/2 playing science on babies all day rather than just *suspecting* it.

Many, many headaches.

We all just got swabbed for MRSA due to a large outbreak on our unit, but I was not one of the lucky ones. I think I need a vacation, if I'm disappointed that I didn't get the 2 weeks off to bathe in phisohex that I would have if I'd been positive... :selfbonk:

notsosupernurse · Jan 7, 2008

WELL Let's Start the illnesses that I was Lucky to get cured...MRSA Cured ! "Thank God" !!!! in the nasal passages..and I have had numerous colds, flus, etc. But they seemed to be more in the beginning and I Think I have developed a resistance to many of the bugs.. I rarely catch those(colds & flus) any more. I have also been exposed to TB. So now I am only able to get a chest x-ray. I am the queen of universal precautions But as you can see that doesn't always prevent you from catching something. Especially triage and ER Exposure . you are on the front line. when that patien is transferred to the floor in to a negative pressure room at least the nurses on the floor have that defense ...where as the nurses on the frontline by the time the patient is diagnosed it is too late...we have already been exposed :w00t:

DidiRN · Jan 7, 2008

I THINK this might be work-related, but wanted to see if anyone else had this. I started having numbness in my outer thigh area, then turned into shooting pains. Usually occured while standing.I found out it is something called "meralgia paresthetica"...sort of a carpal tunnel of the thigh area.

Oh, and I have carpal tunnel, plantar fasciitis, bad knees from 20 something years of doing this.

Chloe'sinNYNow · Jan 7, 2008

non-hive uticaria/relentless pruritis relieved ONLY after Benadryl PO and/or Atarax

UTI

Occult Blood in Stool - Gastritis or Ulcer

Anxiety

Sleep Deprivation

Short Term Memory Loss (due to sleep deprivation and depression?)

Depression

Numbness, cramping in LE

And I was only a new grad for few weeks before it all made me quit!!

not now, RN · Jan 7, 2008

None, not even the flu.