Nurses on Immunizations Now that you are a registered nurse, you are ready to face the real world

of giving quality nursing care. Aside from acquiring the much coveted duty uniform, shoes and apparel, you might be thinking how you can be protected while at work. Whether you are working with pay or not, it is of essential to be armed with potent protection against the hospital or community setting you will be able to encounter. and washing frequently has been of essential importance. Aside from that, immunization is also important to stress especially for newly hired nurses. !es, nurses are not e"empted to undergo their usual clinical procedure # in$ections. ere are some essential immunizations that must be attained. %. epatitis & vaccine # 'ince college days, it was clear that you won(t be able to pursue on clinical duty if you have not undergone such epatitis & vaccine. )et(s face it, anytime of the day nurses will be e"posed to blood and other body fluids so it is important to protect yourself from any infection that those fluids can bring when in contact with the skin or open wound. &oosters can also be importance if you have checked your titer. It is still a good practice to observe universal precaution even though you are already immunized. aving an in$ection might be a little painful but it will pay off, almost all foreign countries may require epatitis & vaccination for future applicants or even here in the *hilippines. aving epatitis & infection can mean a career+ending situation. ,. -etanus -o"oid # Nurses and needle+prick or needle+stick in$uries are favorite topics of research. 'eminars sprouted left and right with this topic and how to prevent or lower the rate of needle+prick in$uries. It is another way to be e"posed to infectious agents especially when pricked with used needles. 'ome patients may have blood borne diseases that can easily be transmitted through needle+prick. Aside from that, needle+prick in$uries might also pave way to infected wounds which can lead to tetanus. Almost all of the hospitals may have protocols regarding needle+prick in$uries. 'ome health care institutions may also shoulder the e"penses when it comes to intervening cases of needle+prick in$uries. .. /lu 0accine # Nurses can be e"posed to various health care settings and viral agents can be taken up into the respiratory tract. Aside from the stress and shifting hours of work, accumulated stress may e"hibit physical symptoms such as flu. aving flu while working is totally uncomfortable and you might even need to take a day off in order to recuperate.

1ood thing there are flu vaccines available upon doctor(s prescription and assessment. 2omplete assessment must be done also because allergic reaction may also occur. Anyway, getting a flu vaccine can ensure you a year round free from acquiring flu together with proper diet and hygiene. 3. *neumonia 0accine # 'pecialized areas of clinical nursing may house patients with chronic ailments. Aside from intensive care units, the emergency room may also be another place wherein nurses are prone to various types of pneumonia. *neumonia may initially pose as flu+like symptoms but may eventually need antibiotic intervention or even hospitalization upon proper diagnostic work+up. /rom community+acquired pneumonia to hospital+acquired pneumonia, nurses are at high risk for e"posure. 4nce again, taking time off from work may not only be a waste of money but also an increased working for nurses who will cover you from your duty hours. 'o it is also important to get an evaluation whether you are entitled to have a pneumonia vaccine.

-hese are $ust some of the important vaccines that can be done in order to strengthen acquired immunity against infectious and common diseases that can infect nurses in their workplace. It is still an important thing to note that before having an immunization, you must consult a physician first so that proper medical evaluation can be done in order to prevent allergic reactions and other untoward situations.