Worried sick that I may have caught MRSA?

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I love nursing but I'm a bit OCD and a germaphobic. While at work tonight, I was visiting one of my favorite clients and so a bump on his arm that was a little open but barely. I asked what was that and he rubbed his hand acrossed it and said he forgot. When I got ready to leave He then told me his remote wasn't working. I took the remote with bare hands and fixed it. Then I saw cream on his chest and it was Mupirocin so I was like omg he has MRSA and the. Soon as I got ready to leave he told me he had MRSA. They was no sign on his door. I checked his records and sure enough he was confirmed to have it in the 17th. Now I'm so nervous and afraid. What do I do?

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Just wash your hands. MRSA is everywhere. Notoriously passed among highschool athletic equipment. If you don't enter a high school gym with the same trepidation, don't get worked up now.

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Specializes in Pedi.

Nothing?

I'm a little confused. You were at work but said you were "visiting"? Even still, if you were at work, did you not perform hand hygiene before entering and after leaving the patient's room?

We have surely all been exposed to MRSA. We're exposed when patients have it/before they swabbed and placed on precautions and we're exposed on the regular from shopping cart handles, public transportation, doorknobs, etc. There's nothing to worry yourself sick about.

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Nothing?

I'm a little confused. You were at work but said you were "visiting"? Even still, if you were at work, did you not perform hand hygiene before entering and after leaving the patient's room?

We have surely all been exposed to MRSA. We're exposed when patients have it/before they swabbed and placed on precautions and we're exposed on the regular from shopping cart handles, public transportation, doorknobs, etc. There's nothing to worry yourself sick about.

Yes I was helping another nurse and this particular client is always alone with no family and I stepped in to say hi. I sanitized in and out but no washed. But that's beside the point

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Just wash your hands. MRSA is everywhere. Notoriously passed among highschool athletic equipment. If you don't enter a high school gym with the same trepidation, don't get worked up now.

Thanks!

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Specializes in NICU.

Dude - I'm pretty sure we're all colonized with MRSA í ½í¸‚

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Dude - I'm pretty sure we're all colonized with MRSA ������

Oh bull.

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You are going to love the day you come to work and discover your patient from the day before is now on airborne precautions to rule out TB. Good times.

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Specializes in Surgical, Home Infusions, HVU, PCU, Neuro.

Did you ever swab various inanimate objects in micro? The various colonizations of organisms on day to day surfaces are astronomical, phones, steering wheel and air vents was the worst. Our lab at the hospital swabbed some surfaces and hands and there was some pretty abundant growth and not because the staff wasn't using proper handwashing techniques. My point is there is bacteria everywhere.

Mupirocin does not just treat MRSA, just some information. But since the patient told you he does, I would have taken it with his word being confirmation for you instead of going through records of a patient you was not assigned to and "visiting" him and fixing his remote does not give you the need to know or access his records. I'm not trying to be ugly with that.

Make sure you are washing/sanitizing in and out of rooms, any breaks in your skin are covered and are using PPE when appropriate while working.

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Did you ever swab various inanimate objects in micro? The various colonizations of organisms on day to day surfaces are astronomical, phones, steering wheel and air vents was the worst. Our lab at the hospital swabbed some surfaces and hands and there was some pretty abundant growth and not because the staff wasn't using proper handwashing techniques. My point is there is bacteria everywhere.

Mupirocin does not just treat MRSA, just some information. But since the patient told you he does, I would have taken it with his word being confirmation for you instead of going through records of a patient you was not assigned to and "visiting" him and fixing his remote does not give you the need to know or access his records. I'm not trying to be ugly with that.

Make sure you are washing/sanitizing in and out of rooms, any breaks in your skin are covered and are using PPE when appropriate while working.

There's no ppe by or outside the door. I didn't globe because I wasn't giving care.

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I had to put Mupirocin up my nose for a few days prior to surgery. As far as I know it's for Staph.

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I had to put Mupirocin up my nose for a few days prior to surgery. As far as I know it's for Staph.

A quick consult with Dr Google ;) shows that medication is used for a few different bacterial infections, not just Staph.

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