When you get sick...

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Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

Today is my day off. I woke during the night with fever, vomiting, diarrhea, aches, etc. My husband did as well and we assumed it was some kind of food poisoning from our dinner last night. Then I got a call that my kiddo (who was with his father last night and didn't have dinner with us) is vomiting at school. Contact my mother and six other members of my family have the same thing. We all had dinner at Mom's on Sunday night together. Probably too long ago to be food poisoning and one of my nephews apparently had been sick with this on Saturday but symptom-free on Sunday (and thus joined us for dinner). He's sick again today, so probably wasn't over it and we were all exposed.

I worked the floor yesterday and am concerned about the patients I cared for given how virulent this virus appears to be. I had meticulous hand hygiene but still.... Do you notify your manager or floor when you come down with something like this, even on your day off? I know there isn't much that can be done other than observe, but at least it would explain it should patients start showing symptoms. That was my logic anyway. Am I being goofy/overly cautious/new grad-ish?

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Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.

Rest up, feel better, and let it go. :)

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Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.

I heard norovirus is making rounds. I had it once and wound up in the hops., the and. pain was so bad, and the vom. and diarrhea...yuck.

It might not be a bad idea to let your NM know since there is a bug going around. If your pts. become symptomatic they'll have a heads up.

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I would contact your nurse manager and inform her. Then get well.

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i am sure your facility infection control nurse would like to hear from you too, and would probably appreciate you staying home until you're asymptomatic for at least 24hrs. get some rest! :sleep:

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Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

I sent an email - no response as yet. I am so green I don't even know who to call if I need to call in sick tomorrow. I just had my fourth shift with my preceptor yesterday.

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