What do you do to protect yourself on floor?

Seaofclouds, BSN, RN · May 3, 2015

I use standard precautions and excellent hand hygiene. In addition to that, my work shoes are only for work and come off as soon as I get home. I also change out of my scrubs as soon as I get home, even before hugging my children. If you are exposed to something, your employee health should be following up with any necessary treatment per your hospital's employee exposure policy.

NOADLS · May 3, 2015

In addition to following proper precautions, I avoid patient contact as much as possible. For when I do have patient contact, I use a hazmat suit. Remember the 3 D's of nursing. Delegate! Delegate! Delegate!

Farawyn · May 3, 2015

I hardly ever got sick on the floors. Now I am in a high school I find myself being more lax. They aren't patients they are students, but no, they are still patients! I have gotten sick 3 times! Last week I had the stomach virus that is ripping through my school and had custodial bleach it down from soup to nuts.

Keep your work area clean, standard precautions and wash your hands. I also used to avoid bed rails, uuuuugh.

meanmaryjean, DNP, RN · May 3, 2015

You are as likely to catch something in the grocery store as you are in the hospital.

dudette10, MSN, RN · May 3, 2015

Lots of us take care of patients with the flu that isn't diagnosed until later. This year's flu shot was definitely a "miss," and many nurses got the flu where I work. Remember, the purpose of precautions is usually to prevent the spread from patient to patient by healthcare workers, with a secondary benefit of protecting us.

I took care of ISO patients when I was going through chemo. My choice to not make a big deal about it, although I can understand why others would choose differently. Hand hygiene, strict ISO precautions, and a Neulasta shot q 3 weeks, and I was good to go.

And the nurses who wear a mask all shift when they aren't sick? I just roll my eyes. We have one at work that does that. It's silly.

Just remeber the the basics of infection control for everyone. They work!

Mavrick, BSN, RN · May 3, 2015

I love the patient that is in the pre-op area surrounded by personnel wearing yellow gowns and gloves. Then after surgery they get wheeled into my PACU by an OR nurse and Anesthesiologist in scrubs with the chart casually flopped on the (contaminated maybe?) stretcher.

C'mon people germs don't know they're not supposed to hop on the chart while on that short stretcher ride.

Editorial Team / Admin · May 3, 2015

All of those patients that are in isolation precautions in the hospital? Yeah, they're out there in your community before and after discharge without the yellow gowns, without the gloves, without the signs to alert others. You would probably be more likely to pick up microbes on the handle of the grocery cart than at work- hopefully you are following standard precautions and utilizing available hand hygiene options as deemed necessary.

Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN · May 3, 2015

I just wash my hands. I mean we go to the store, use public restrooms, use public transportation, hug our children who've been in school all day--all with no PPE.

danceyrun · May 3, 2015

In addition to following proper precautions, I avoid patient contact as much as possible. For when I do have patient contact, I use a hazmat suit. Remember the 3 D's of nursing. Delegate! Delegate! Delegate!

Ohhhh this guy.

canigraduate · May 3, 2015

In addition to following proper precautions, I avoid patient contact as much as possible. For when I do have patient contact, I use a hazmat suit. Remember the 3 D's of nursing. Delegate! Delegate! Delegate!

LOL! I just spewed Pepsi all over my keyboard.

You, sir, are now on my spit list!

Morainey, BSN, RN · May 4, 2015

Wash your hands. Like all the time. I try to stay beyond arm's length - you never know. I picked up an awful GI bug from work recently and it was just the worst.