Patients with Contagious Conditions All personal stories are told by Susan, a retired nurse. I will always remember a nurse supervisor I had when I first began my career. She was very assertive, and demanding, yet took short cuts herself continuously. When the hospital hired a person to assume the role of head nurse for the entire hospital, the nurse supervisor was let go, which actually bothered no one. Ms. O (we had to call her Ms. and her last name, which I’ll refrain from using) was someone that constantly looked to critique every move you made, right or wrong, and at times I seemed to be her number one target, most likely because I was the new nurse. A patient was admitted from the county jail, and the accompanying office told me up front that this man had multiple diseases that were contagious, and that his favorite thing was to spit on people and expose them. The officer went on to say he had a spit mask on the patient, however Ms. O made him remove it. I was in the gown area suiting up in a paper gown, arm protectors, gloves and a mask, when in walks Ms. O. She instructed me to remove all of the protective gear and treat this man as if I had no idea what was wrong. I debated for a couple minutes, and she became frustrated and assigned him to another nurse that started just before me. This poor guy agreed to go in unprotected, and sure enough was spit on. Later Ms. O. was seen coming out of the patient’s room in, you guessed it, full protective gear. I’m not a complainer over little things; however this was wrong, unfair, and unsafe. I went straight down to human resource and poured my heart out. Ms. O. took vacation starting the next day, and returned a week later only to be let go. I never want to cost someone their job, but her unsafe demands drew the line for me. Related: Facts on Fungal or Yeast Infections If you are ever put in a situation that your training kicks in and tells you, is not safe, speak up to someone, even if you have to go beyond your immediate supervisor. You may be defending not only yourself, but other employees as well. Treating Patients with Dignity Naturally you always want to treat patients with respect and dignity; you don’t want to offend them unnecessarily. Unless there is reason, you would not ordinarily wear a paper gown, or mask, however if there is a reason to do so, protect yourself and do so. Patients are aware of what condition they
have, and almost certainly they are aware of the degree of being contagious. Most patients have a great respect for their nurse, and would not want to expose them to an illness. It is never worth taking a chance when it comes to exposing yourself to a medical condition. There are also certain conditions that would allow you to be a carrier of a disease, which would expose countless others. It is not over-reacting to put protective gear on when working with a patient that has a contagious illness that is air born. Some hospitals currently see lack of protective gear when needed as grounds for termination, which brings more attention to seriousness. Be sure to determine what your hospital policy is prior to starting employment. This will enable you to make an educated decision on working where you feel comfortable being in compliance of the rules and regulations. Always dispose of protective gear appropriately, and wash hands after working with any and all patients regardless of medical condition. You may spend an extra minute; however good hand washing habits can prevent many illnesses from being spread. Protect yourself and others by following safety rules with contagious conditions. Related: International Nurses Association Please follow us on Facebook, Linkedin, Pinterest and Twitter