Don’t Appear Contagious
Hay fever and hives aren’t catching, but patients and coworkers may give you the stink eye if they see you sneezing, coughing or scratching. Everyone gets the creeps when it comes to germs in the hospital. A bright red rash can conjure images of all sorts of deadly tropical diseases in the minds of nearby hypochondriacs. Slap on the anti-itch cream and cover up with a loose, long-sleeve cotton shirt under your scrubs top or a lab coat over it to conceal an allergic skin rash. When you can’t stop sneezing, consider wearing a face mask to keep from spraying everyone around you.Talk to Your Supervisor and Coworkers
Notify the charge nurse or other supervisor when you’re having a bad bout of seasonal allergies. She may want to be kept informed if you’re taking an antihistamine that could make you drowsy or error-prone.If you break out in hives, try to track down the source of the allergen and see if any of your coworkers are having the same reaction. You may find that something new has been introduced into the work environment. For example, if your employer provides scrubs laundering services on-site or through an outside vendor, there may have been a fabric softener added to the process. These substances often contain fragrances that can cause problems for everyone with sensitive skin.
Once you’ve found the offending allergen, it’s time to decide whether you can simply avoid it as you work or if it needs to be removed from the work environment. Try to make sure you’ve correctly identified the problem before bringing it up with your supervisor. If she doesn’t have specific information to work with, she may be more likely to dismiss your concerns.
Ever had to deal with allergies on the job?
Share your thoughts and tips in the comments section below.
This article was republished with permission from SCRUBS Magazine.
I found out through trial and error that I am allergic to Metamucil. I would start sneezing, wheezing, and breaking out in hives when I would have to administer this to my patients. This only happened when I worked a specific assignment. (The only one that had patients with this medication.) I finally had to wear a mask when ever I had to be around it. I hate to think what would happen if I had to take it.
I don’t know what it Is or if it is the different climates in each room, one cold, then one like walking into a furnace.. I will sneeze.. my nose starts dripping, im sniffing.. which is so irritating… there is something about it I don’t know what but I don’t know if it is the air system or if they need to test the air, I don’t know… but I have to excuse myself or find some reason to go out, blow my nose, wash my hands. and walk out, the other night, putting on the ppp gowns for infections in the patients room, I was dripping with sweat… I never sweat.. the room temps went from freezing to a hot furnace.. I will not take meds I don’t want to alter my thought pattern… then there are times I go from having a stuffy nose to a runny nose.. it is so irritating..
any insight.. maybe I need to see a allergen .. I might need shots or something.. also what do you do when you are harassed on your job and it could lead to a major mistake .. do you know of anyone that defends and protects nurses…