RNs/Healthcare providers w/ c diff

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kmr92
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RNs/Healthcare providers w/ c diff

Postby kmr92 » Wed Jun 07, 2017 2:24 am

Hello all,

I am a 24 year old RN who is about 9.5 weeks post Vanco. I was wondering if there were any other healthcare providers on this board who have had c diff. I have been back at work for about 2 months now. I was curious if anyone else in the healthcare field has anxiety about going back to work. I work in a hospital so I am exposed to all the germs you can imagine and it gives me such anxiety to think I'm going to reinfect myself (although I have stepped up my infection control practices BIG TIME).

georgina
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Re: RNs/Healthcare providers w/ c diff

Postby georgina » Wed Jun 07, 2017 3:13 am

I a nurse too , used to work in ICU and surgery, got moved to a endocrinology office but not because I live in fear of Cdiff ,it's because i don't wanna chatch something else since my immune system is so low but i really miss my old job.

NanciT
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Re: RNs/Healthcare providers w/ c diff

Postby NanciT » Wed Jun 07, 2017 10:09 am

I had already left practice and started to teach although I teach in a hospital and CDIFF is all around. I changed so many things, I make extra effort for asepsis control and no longer eat anything while I am there. If I see rooms coded( most hospitals code) for CDIFF, I stay far away and no longer allow students in the rooms with any thing like CDIFF/MRSA etc.
It has caused me a great deal of anxiety and I added this to my curriculum for my students. My frustration is many physicians and GI's believe CDIFF is diarrhea that is treated and that's it. I had 5 relapses over 10 months and still have post IBS 2 years later along with other issues directly related. They clearly don't understand how difficult this can be. I do try and educate them. I believe FAR more precautions need to be taken by all health care providers.
I did just get newly published text books and it has been ADDED along with MRSA and a few other's. But information was minimal.

NanciT

kmr92
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Re: RNs/Healthcare providers w/ c diff

Postby kmr92 » Wed Jun 07, 2017 6:12 pm

Thank you for your replies. I am struggling with whether or not to find a new position. But I do really love my job and I am so early in my career still but I'm not sure what to do. I work on a surgical floor but we do get medical patients as well. C diff/MRSA/VRE is everywhere. I'm not sure what to do. The pay is what is keeping me there as well, as I still have a student loan and a car loan. I've considered not eating anything while I'm there but working 12.5+ hours I get very hungry. Thank you again for your replies.

NanciT
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Re: RNs/Healthcare providers w/ c diff

Postby NanciT » Wed Jun 07, 2017 10:09 pm

My concern about eating would be in the units, if there is a cafeteria I would think that is fine. If you work in surgery although there are patients with CDIFF, it is less exposure than on a regular floor.Maybe you could sit down with the charge nurse and ask not to go in on those cases for awhile? I do understand your concern. I was diagnosed in 2014 and when I check n students and see the coded CDIFF rooms, I often just want to leave. The fear takes over.
Hoping for a vaccine!! One day we will not have to worry about this

NanciT

kmr92
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Re: RNs/Healthcare providers w/ c diff

Postby kmr92 » Thu Jun 08, 2017 9:58 am

I eat in the break room. I work night shift and the cafeteria is closed. I always wash my hands like I'm scrubbing into surgery before I eat though. I did consider letting someone know what I've been through so maybe I could avoid those patients for a while but I really don't want anyone to know. Very gossipy unit I'm on. But I did have a c diff pt a few weeks ago and I think I handled fairly well. But the fear is still very there and very real. I'm hoping time will make it easier. Still thinking of looking at job postings just to see what else is out there. Thank you again for replying.

Ril
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Re: RNs/Healthcare providers w/ c diff

Postby Ril » Thu Jun 08, 2017 7:23 pm

I too am an RN but was an administrator. Now I no longer work but whenever I am in a hospital or any kind of care facility I find myself obsessively washing my hands before and after doing or touching anything, even when caring for my healthy post op mom. This is actually not a bad thing. I think a problem is that there are hand sanitizer dispensers all over which people use instead of washing so somehow more education needs to be done for patients, visitors and I suspect staff, and not just at survey time.

notheidi
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Re: RNs/Healthcare providers w/ c diff

Postby notheidi » Sat Jun 10, 2017 10:20 pm

Social worker here. Got c diff from my personal trip to the ER in 2011, then got it again in 2015 at work. Totally empathize with what everyone is saying. I actually think I might have it again now. Hopefully it's the stomach flu. Otherwise I will be leaving my job...
2010 mod/sev w/leukocytosis, cefdenir-sinus inf, metro rx'd wrong, resurged during tx. recovered w/dose change, lost 40 lbs. 2015 mod recur fr SNF, no abx, resolved w/vanco. 7/2022 mod recur, community acq, no abx, intermittent prodrome but didn't realize

kmr92
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Re: RNs/Healthcare providers w/ c diff

Postby kmr92 » Sun Jun 11, 2017 1:54 am

Ril- I agree. Much more education is very much needed for everyone involved. Thanks for your reply.

Notheidi- Praying for you that this time it is just a stomach flu. Hoping you feel better soon. Thanks for your reply as well.

NanciT
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Re: RNs/Healthcare providers w/ c diff

Postby NanciT » Sun Jun 11, 2017 10:19 am

I also want to add among Health Professional the hospital's all need to be more transparent with the number of cases they have. Our hospital only recently added this and although most patients are unaware of the board at the nurses station and the information it contains, as I walk by I can clearly see how many patients on a certain date have CDIFF. The rooms are coded for privacy. I am sure CDIFF is underreported in MANY hospitals. We all know it gets down to reimbursements and the bottom line is money. If the LABS were required to report the numbers would be much higher.

Now that our hospital has become more transparent, it will be interesting to see the numbers they turn in. Prior to this, I have been watching and I know they clearly were not reporting all cases.

NanciT

notheidi
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Re: RNs/Healthcare providers w/ c diff

Postby notheidi » Mon Jun 12, 2017 4:07 am

Thanks kmr92. I wonder if you could get not working with c diff patients as a disability accommodation?
2010 mod/sev w/leukocytosis, cefdenir-sinus inf, metro rx'd wrong, resurged during tx. recovered w/dose change, lost 40 lbs. 2015 mod recur fr SNF, no abx, resolved w/vanco. 7/2022 mod recur, community acq, no abx, intermittent prodrome but didn't realize

Ril
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Re: RNs/Healthcare providers w/ c diff

Postby Ril » Tue Jun 13, 2017 9:43 am

You can try but I can only tell you that in my former position, Human Resources would have contacted me and the agreed upon answer from both would have been no because appropriate precautions can and should be taken to avoid infection. If everyone who ever had c diff wanted an "accommodation" it could eventually shrink the pool of caregivers unnecessarily. I would do transfers as long as there was another opening available elsewhere, but I don't believe it falls under the definition of reasonable accommodation.

I am NOT giving legal advice but telling you about my past experience. You can certainly try, by I think the best tact to take would be to have a discussion, explain your situation and fears and ask about your options.

Rita

kmr92
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Re: RNs/Healthcare providers w/ c diff

Postby kmr92 » Tue Jun 13, 2017 12:47 pm

I did have to file for disability for the time I was out of work and I did receive a very, very small check. My paycheck was really my sick time for the two weeks I was out. Someone suggested to me to try to get workman's comp but as Ril said, proper precautions are supposed to have been taken to prevent this. Which they were. But that's neither here nor there now. Thanks for the replies.

Ril
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Re: RNs/Healthcare providers w/ c diff

Postby Ril » Tue Jun 13, 2017 5:52 pm

Kmr, just want to clarify that I was not inferring that you did not take proper precautions.
I was saying that the expectation of the use of proper precautions is a reason why a disability accommodation would not be made I.e. Reasonable accommodation.

kmr92
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Re: RNs/Healthcare providers w/ c diff

Postby kmr92 » Tue Jun 13, 2017 10:29 pm

Ril, I know you weren't inferring that. Sorry if I came off that way! I knew exactly what you meant.


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