And yet it’s vital for them to stay healthy: They’ve got hard work to do and can’t be ill around patients with compromised immune systems. We’ve heard countless times that it’s essential to take care of ourselves before taking care of others—you know, the whole “secure your oxygen mask before assisting others” drill—but it’s hard to put into practice. Nurses actually do it.
Aside from washing their hands and getting their flu shots annually, nurses have other immunity-boosting tricks that have become second nature. Also, for more read on to learn their 7 best tips for staying healthy. (Heal your whole body with Rodale’s 12-day liver detox for total body health.)
“Usually, the transmission of illnesses is from hands, nose, eyes, and mouth,” says Nicoleta Constantin, PhD, BSN, a registered nurse at UNC Hospitals, Chapel Hill. She’s developed the habit of never touching her face, and instead grabs a tissue or uses her forearm when she needs to scratch her nose or rub her eyes. Constantin also adheres to the “
droplet precautions” procedure at work, which is CDC protocol to help prevent the transmission of respiratory viruses (like wearing a mask and performing proper hand hygiene).
Droplets from sneezes can carry organisms within a 3-feet radius, so while Constantin can’t avoid staying close to her patients, she bears this fact in mind and keeps a healthy distance from sick people on her days off. (And for good reason: A
2011 survey by the American Biology Society and the American Cleaning Institute found that just 39% of people always wash their hands after coughing or sneezing.)
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Nurses get more up close and personal with sick patients than anyone else does.
