Subscribe To This Site

Comment to HIV Blog

I certainly understand why one would be upset to find that the person for whom they have been caring was HIV positive, especially if coming in contact with blood and body fluids, however as a health care provider, Universal Precautions should be demonstrated on EVERYONE at ALL TIMES! This is essential in the medical community and can not be stressed enough. Just because a healthcare worker befriends an individual or even cares for a family member, he/she should always wear gloves when in contact with blood, body fluids, or open wounds. This allows "you" as a healthcare provider, to protect yourself because it may or may not be known or confirmed to you or the individual of the infection.

It also protects the patient from any infection that you may have. I am sorry to hear this and hope everything turns out for the better, but perhaps this is a wake-up call or maybe even a "slap on the hand" to remind you as a healthcare provider to always GLOVE-UP no matter who it is!

HIV-victims-and-Home-Health-Care-Provider

Comments for
Comment to HIV Blog

Average Rating

Click here to add your own comments

Feb 10, 2011
Rating

how does this work?
by: Art

Testing one, two, three...that's me... I see...Art

Jan 22, 2011
Rating

HIV and Healthcare Workers
by: Anonymous

I could not agree with you more regarding the use of universal precautions. I am an RN and I have worked with many HIV patients. We are trained to use universal precautions because you never know the HIV status of your patients.

Some cases are established and the HIV status is on record, but others are not established. If we treat each and every patient the same and protect ourselves against all infectous diseases, the liklihood of contracting a disease is very low.

Many healthcare workers believe they are entitled to know the status of all patients, this is not so, it is not our God-given right as caregivers, thus the argument for universal precautions is strengthened. It is important to see all patients as equals, not only for our physical health, but also as ethical providers. Many caregivers will say, "Oh Mrs. Jane Doe is a sweet little 80 year old lady, I don't need gloves."

Making such assumptions is not only unwise, it could be deadly. You cannot tell a HIV patient by looking. I used to think that all HIV patients were thin, emaciated and pale. This could not be further from the truth, I just had a HIV patient the other day that was 5'3 200 pounds and looked as healthy as any other patient.

We as healthcare providers can not judge patients or make assumptions about their conditions.

Click here to add your own comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How?
Simply click here to return to Real Discussion, Real People