How do you avoid getting sick when you're volunteering at hospitals, clinics, and working as a MD?

[mrh125]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Over the past year I've been shadowing and volunteering pretty intensively at hospitals, clinics, and private practice all of which have lots and lots of sick people and the lovely superbugs such as MRSA I'd assume and since then I've gotten sick about 3 times (right now is my third time). I'm not one to usually get sick that much though. I have all the up to date vaccinations, I wash my hands as much as I can when I don't forget, wear gloves, and avoid touching stuff that is particularly grimy like the brake and turning things on gurneys though sometimes it's unavoidable. When it comes to patients with stuff like whooping cough I wear the mask, but I still end up getting sick.

How do you avoid getting sick in these situations? I feel like I'm missing something glaringly obvious and I'm tired of getting sick constantly. I hope eventually my immune system will adjust to being in such a high threat environment and I won't be spending the next 10 years of my life getting sick 3+ times a year. Does it?

Any advice or secret inside tips and tricks would be amazing.

 

[medic86]

You just wash your hands, dude.

I worked in an ER for a couple years, and the only thing that happened to me was some strep-throat-like sore throat... once.

 

[QuinnTheEskimo]

Over the past year I've been shadowing and volunteering pretty intensively at hospitals, clinics, and private practice all of which have lots and lots of sick people and the lovely superbugs such as MRSA I'd assume and since then I've gotten sick about 3 times (right now is my third time). I'm not one to usually get sick that much though. I have all the up to date vaccinations, I wash my hands as much as I can when I don't forget, wear gloves, and avoid touching stuff that is particularly grimy like the brake and turning things on gurneys though sometimes it's unavoidable. When it comes to patients with stuff like whooping cough I wear the mask, but I still end up getting sick.

How do you avoid getting sick in these situations? I feel like I'm missing something glaringly obvious and I'm tired of getting sick constantly. I hope eventually my immune system will adjust to being in such a high threat environment and I won't be spending the next 10 years of my life getting sick 3+ times a year. Does it?

Any advice or secret inside tips and tricks would be amazing.

The average adult gets 2-4 colds per year. So getting sick 3x per year is pretty normal regardless of whether you work in a hospital or not.

 

[WillburCobb]

Over the past year I've been shadowing and volunteering pretty intensively at hospitals, clinics, and private practice all of which have lots and lots of sick people and the lovely superbugs such as MRSA I'd assume and since then I've gotten sick about 3 times (right now is my third time). I'm not one to usually get sick that much though. I have all the up to date vaccinations, I wash my hands as much as I can when I don't forget, wear gloves, and avoid touching stuff that is particularly grimy like the brake and turning things on gurneys though sometimes it's unavoidable. When it comes to patients with stuff like whooping cough I wear the mask, but I still end up getting sick.

How do you avoid getting sick in these situations? I feel like I'm missing something glaringly obvious and I'm tired of getting sick constantly. I hope eventually my immune system will adjust to being in such a high threat environment and I won't be spending the next 10 years of my life getting sick 3+ times a year. Does it?

Any advice or secret inside tips and tricks would be amazing.

 

[mrh125]

I'm not seeing anything wrong with this post. if you don't like it, how about you go ignore it?

 

[mrh125]

The average adult gets 2-4 colds per year. So getting sick 3x per year is pretty normal regardless of whether you work in a hospital or not.

very good info, thanks for the reply. I used to only get sick once a year or less so I thought that was normal. I'd still like to minimize how much I'm feeling crummy, sore, with a fever and sore throat though.

 

[medic86]

In a perfect world that'd take care of it. Other people don't wash their hands, so you are going to touch infected stuff that other idiots have handled. You'd have to wash your hands constantly to be completely safe. I don't think it is as simple as you'd "just wash your hands". I think you can drastically decrease your risk by being a vigilant hand washer, but I don't think it can be totally negated.

Um... have you worked in a clinical environment?

You have gloves on whenever you're performing patient care. When you're done, you take your gloves off and wash your hands.

It's really not that hard.

 

[Ophthoseidon]

Don't touch any mucous membranes. Eyes, Nose, Mouth, whatever

 

[studentp0x]

Take all necessary precautions... if you suspect your immune system is weaker, supplementation of zinc, vitamin D and vitamin C will help.

 

[bunnyg]

You built a strong immune system as a kid. You didn't sanitize your hands every hour, didn't go crying to the doctor for antibiotics for the sniffles. etc

 

[ridethecliche]

The OP is on fire with inane posts/threads. It's quite amazing actually.

 

[mrh125]

The OP is on fire with inane posts/threads. It's quite amazing actually.

how is anything im asking inane? im asking questions that are relevant in my thoughts and thought-provoking. quit derailing threads with"omg y u ask"

 

[terp720]

Um... have you worked in a clinical environment?

You have gloves on whenever you're performing patient care. When you're done, you take your gloves off and wash your hands.

It's really not that hard.

as a volunteer I don't wear gloves with all patients (except for isolation precautions) because I'm not providing medical care.

but yeah.. OP just being diligent with hand-washing and sanitizing has kept me fairly healthy

 

[Ismet]

Um... have you worked in a clinical environment?

You have gloves on whenever you're performing patient care. When you're done, you take your gloves off and wash your hands.

It's really not that hard.

You don't always have gloves on. I've performed a few dozen physical exams without gloves, you're really not supposed to wear gloves to do a physical unless the patient has contact precautions and then you do the full gown/disposable scope dealio.

Just gotta make sure you wash your hands before and after touching the patient, at the very very least get a squirt of the hand sanitizer.

 

[masaraksh]

Radiology

 

[familyaerospace]

Personally my best friend is "Halls Defense."

 

[medic86]

How do you think non airborne bacterial infections spread from patient to patient in hospitals? Healthcare workers. The same ones you are interacting with.

"Compliance with hand hygiene practices among health care workers has historically been very low, averaging 39 percent" and a "worldwide systematic review found that the incidence of healthcare-associated infections ranged from 1.7 to 23.6 per 100 patients."

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK133371/

Your point? Wash your hands, and you help fix the issue.

You don't always have gloves on. I've performed a few dozen physical exams without gloves, you're really not supposed to wear gloves to do a physical unless the patient has contact precautions and then you do the full gown/disposable scope dealio.

Just gotta make sure you wash your hands before and after touching the patient, at the very very least get a squirt of the hand sanitizer.

Roger that. I don't -always- wear gloves, either... but I will when I'm starting an IV, placing a foley, or suturing. (duh) 😛

But yes, before and after. Always.

 

[bearded frog]

​

 

[ridethecliche]

Try VERY hard not to lick the doorknobs. Whatever you do, resist your instincts.

I think in this case the OP should just do the exact opposite of their instincts...

 

[dyspareunia]

Um... have you worked in a clinical environment?
You have gloves on whenever you're performing patient care. When you're done, you take your gloves off and wash your hands.

It's really not that hard.

Um... have you worked in a clinical environment?

^

 

[medic86]

^

Haha. Probably more than you, guy.

 

[dyspareunia]

Haha. Probably more than you, guy.

When's the last time your PCP put gloves on during your appointment? When's the last time the nurse put gloves on to take your blood pressure? When's the last time the pharmacist put gloves on to give you your prescription?

 

[ridethecliche]

Actually, I think the OP should go work in an ID clinic. That should just about do it.

 

[lnvictus]

Whoever was the moderator or administrator who put mrh125's account on hold, THANK YOU.

 

[compstomper]

I've been working at a urgent care clinic as a medical scribe for over 1.5 years, and I initially got sick quite a few times, but with good habits I stopped getting sick and my immune system is stronger than ever.

My advice:
-Always wash your hands.
-Always wear gloves when possible.
-Never use your fingers to touch your face, if you must, use the back of your hand instead if you have an itch on your face, need to adjust glasses, etc.

 

[Gauss44]

As an ED trainer who rarely (practically never) gets sick, here's what I do:

1. Learn how germs spread and apply your knowledge. As basic as it sounds, there is no substitute for understanding how things work.

2. Keep a distance from sick patients whenever possible. Standing and walking 2-3 feet away from sick patients, as well as, talking to patients from the doorway of their rooms is appropriate under many circumstances. You can still be pleasant and professional from a distance. Of course if you examine patients, you will need to get close. To be clear, I'm NOT suggesting that you treat or behave as though patients are poisonous. Just be professional and keep a healthy distance when possible. (The people I know who get sick the most are those who stand super close to patients on a regular basis, like one foot away. IMO, to be frank, that could also feel like a violation of personal space and not a professional distance.)

3. Have an awareness of the patient and be assertive. It pays to make a habit of paying attention to your patient while you are doing everything else. I can't count the number of deep coughs I've gotten out of the way of just because I saw it coming. And I cannot count the number of kids I've had to politely ask to turn their heads away from me if they need to cough. No one has ever taken offense to this, and I believe it's part of what keeps me healthy. (IMO, it's part of a doctor's duty to teach people how to be healthy. Being able to appropriately suggest hygienic measures like correctly covering a cough, is good practice IMO.)

4. Wear a mask when transporting certain patients. I learned from the transport people I work with that even though a patient is wearing a mask, it can help to also put a mask on yourself to avoid breathing in droplets. I've found this to be especially helpful when transporting a coughing patient who's stretcher is in an upright position, so their head is almost level with mine, and when going into an enclosed space with a patient, like an elevator. (I also ask to lower the bed before transporting to keep the "germ stream" a little lower.)

5. Hand hygiene, gloves, washing hands, using sanitizers, cleaning your nails... not touching mucous membranes.... washing, disinfecting properly once you get home (yourself, your glasses, possibly your watch, etc.)... placing items worn to the hospital in an area away or separate from your main living space....

6. Patient areas. If it's your duty, and maybe even if it's not, make sure that certain patients have the curtain pulled, door shut, or have the negative pressure turned on in their room. ...and similarly that the certain patients wear a mask while being transported.

 

[lnvictus]

I actually don't get why this topic is inane, but I haven't seen any of OP's other thread. I have no context I guess.

As far as dumb threads go...this one barely competes with other stuff that often pops up in here. To me, this thread has the potential to be an interesting conversation on how and why pathogens spread in healthcare settings.

I speak in a general sense, not just this topic. SDN should have just made a sub-forum exclusively dedicated to mrh125's questions

 

[tmn]

Over the past year I've been shadowing and volunteering pretty intensively at hospitals, clinics, and private practice all of which have lots and lots of sick people and the lovely superbugs such as MRSA I'd assume and since then I've gotten sick about 3 times (right now is my third time). I'm not one to usually get sick that much though. I have all the up to date vaccinations, I wash my hands as much as I can when I don't forget, wear gloves, and avoid touching stuff that is particularly grimy like the brake and turning things on gurneys though sometimes it's unavoidable. When it comes to patients with stuff like whooping cough I wear the mask, but I still end up getting sick.

How do you avoid getting sick in these situations? I feel like I'm missing something glaringly obvious and I'm tired of getting sick constantly. I hope eventually my immune system will adjust to being in such a high threat environment and I won't be spending the next 10 years of my life getting sick 3+ times a year. Does it?

Any advice or secret inside tips and tricks would be amazing.

Autism juice IM.

 

[Goro]

My pediatrician colleagues always say for the first year in practice you're always sick, and after that you're immune to everything the kids can throw at you.

Over the past year I've been shadowing and volunteering pretty intensively at hospitals, clinics, and private practice all of which have lots and lots of sick people and the lovely superbugs such as MRSA I'd assume and since then I've gotten sick about 3 times (right now is my third time). I'm not one to usually get sick that much though. I have all the up to date vaccinations, I wash my hands as much as I can when I don't forget, wear gloves, and avoid touching stuff that is particularly grimy like the brake and turning things on gurneys though sometimes it's unavoidable. When it comes to patients with stuff like whooping cough I wear the mask, but I still end up getting sick.

How do you avoid getting sick in these situations? I feel like I'm missing something glaringly obvious and I'm tired of getting sick constantly. I hope eventually my immune system will adjust to being in such a high threat environment and I won't be spending the next 10 years of my life getting sick 3+ times a year. Does it?

Any advice or secret inside tips and tricks would be amazing.

 

[ventulus18]

“Soap and water and common sense are the best disinfectants.” - Sir William Osler

 

[QofQuimica]

1) Wash hands before and after any patient contact. As others have already mentioned, this is probably the single most important thing you can do.
2) Yearly flu shot. Don't be one of those dumba**es who thinks they don't need one. Unless you're allergic to eggs, if you have any patient contact whatsoever, you need one.
3) Put a mask on anyone who is coughing.

Even with all of that, you'll still get sick sometimes. But I do think it gets better the longer you're in the hospital. I was sick a lot more as an intern than I was as a senior resident.

 

[elektroshok]

As an ED trainer who rarely (practically never) gets sick, here's what I do:

1. Learn how germs spread and apply your knowledge. As basic as it sounds, there is no substitute for understanding how things work.

2. Keep a distance from sick patients whenever possible. Standing and walking 2-3 feet away from sick patients, as well as, talking to patients from the doorway of their rooms is appropriate under many circumstances. You can still be pleasant and professional from a distance. Of course if you examine patients, you will need to get close. To be clear, I'm NOT suggesting that you treat or behave as though patients are poisonous. Just be professional and keep a healthy distance when possible. (The people I know who get sick the most are those who stand super close to patients on a regular basis, like one foot away. IMO, to be frank, that could also feel like a violation of personal space and not a professional distance.)

3. Have an awareness of the patient and be assertive. It pays to make a habit of paying attention to your patient while you are doing everything else. I can't count the number of deep coughs I've gotten out of the way of just because I saw it coming. And I cannot count the number of kids I've had to politely ask to turn their heads away from me if they need to cough. No one has ever taken offense to this, and I believe it's part of what keeps me healthy. (IMO, it's part of a doctor's duty to teach people how to be healthy. Being able to appropriately suggest hygienic measures like correctly covering a cough, is good practice IMO.)

4. Wear a mask when transporting certain patients. I learned from the transport people I work with that even though a patient is wearing a mask, it can help to also put a mask on yourself to avoid breathing in droplets. I've found this to be especially helpful when transporting a coughing patient who's stretcher is in an upright position, so their head is almost level with mine, and when going into an enclosed space with a patient, like an elevator. (I also ask to lower the bed before transporting to keep the "germ stream" a little lower.)

5. Hand hygiene, gloves, washing hands, using sanitizers, cleaning your nails... not touching mucous membranes.... washing, disinfecting properly once you get home (yourself, your glasses, possibly your watch, etc.)... placing items worn to the hospital in an area away or separate from your main living space....

6. Patient areas. If it's your duty, and maybe even if it's not, make sure that certain patients have the curtain pulled, door shut, or have the negative pressure turned on in their room. ...and similarly that the certain patients wear a mask while being transported.

Srsly??

 

[bearded frog]

​

 

[Gauss44]

I've also learned the hard way:

-That using a wheelchair is preferable to letting a sick patient take your arm (if there's any chance they might vomit or make you sick somehow by coughing, etc.).
-To watch for crowded or cluttered areas where you can temporarily get trapped next to a very sick patient. (Example: Sometimes the emergency department will get busy at a moment's notice and the areas near the bathrooms are candidates for this. There's nothing like being boxed in to a small space by a stretcher and crowd when the person standing next to you is wheezing and coughing up phlegm onto your shirt. The moral of this story is to avoid crowded areas whenever possible/practical since this can happen in an unexpected instant. I'll say this on here since it's an anonymous forum.)

I've learned the easy way:

-Getting enough sleep when possible helps fight off illnesses.
-Eating right " .
-Just making healthy decisions often " .

As an ED trainer who rarely (practically never) gets sick, here's what I do:

1. Learn how germs spread and apply your knowledge. As basic as it sounds, there is no substitute for understanding how things work.

2. Keep a distance from sick patients whenever possible. Standing and walking 2-3 feet away from sick patients, as well as, talking to patients from the doorway of their rooms is appropriate under many circumstances. You can still be pleasant and professional from a distance. Of course if you examine patients, you will need to get close. To be clear, I'm NOT suggesting that you treat or behave as though patients are poisonous. Just be professional and keep a healthy distance when possible. (The people I know who get sick the most are those who stand super close to patients on a regular basis, like one foot away. IMO, to be frank, that could also feel like a violation of personal space and not a professional distance.)

3. Have an awareness of the patient and be assertive. It pays to make a habit of paying attention to your patient while you are doing everything else. I can't count the number of deep coughs I've gotten out of the way of just because I saw it coming. And I cannot count the number of kids I've had to politely ask to turn their heads away from me if they need to cough. No one has ever taken offense to this, and I believe it's part of what keeps me healthy. (IMO, it's part of a doctor's duty to teach people how to be healthy. Being able to appropriately suggest hygienic measures like correctly covering a cough, is good practice IMO.)

4. Wear a mask when transporting certain patients. I learned from the transport people I work with that even though a patient is wearing a mask, it can help to also put a mask on yourself to avoid breathing in droplets. I've found this to be especially helpful when transporting a coughing patient who's stretcher is in an upright position, so their head is almost level with mine, and when going into an enclosed space with a patient, like an elevator. (I also ask to lower the bed before transporting to keep the "germ stream" a little lower.)

5. Hand hygiene, gloves, washing hands, using sanitizers, cleaning your nails... not touching mucous membranes.... washing, disinfecting properly once you get home (yourself, your glasses, possibly your watch, etc.)... placing items worn to the hospital in an area away or separate from your main living space....

6. Patient areas. If it's your duty, and maybe even if it's not, make sure that certain patients have the curtain pulled, door shut, or have the negative pressure turned on in their room. ...and similarly that the certain patients wear a mask while being transported.