I work for a social work agency that deals with children with mental health issues. I am not a hospital social worker and am not skilled in dealing with infectious disease. I was just told that i will be getting a client who has inactive TB. I know that currently there is no risk in being around this individual, but if the client was to go "active" then I could potentially contract it as i have to work in close proximity to my client for several hours per week, sometimes in confined spaces such as a car. I feel very bad for this child, but I do not feel that I should have to put my own health at risk as well, especially with a disease that is not curable, can be deadly and stays with you for your entire life. Being exposed could also put my loved ones at risk too, which they did not sign up for. How can I kindly ask my place of work to remove me from this case without seeming difficult or uncaring? Thank you. The information i am getting is helpful. An added tidbit of info is that my place of work did not even disclose that this child was a TB carrier to me. A co-worker happened to know and was the one to share this info. Kind of frustrating. I feel I should have been given this information by managment so I could assess the risk and take precautions. I do understand what both responses are saying in regards to making sacrafices for the client's you work with. I try my best to do this on a daily basis. The crazy thing is that, in social work, every job you apply to working with children or the elderly they TB test you. So if you were to catch this illness, your opportunities at getting another job can be hindered because most people do not want to take the chance of exposing other clients (with potentially bad immue systems) to this disease. The whole situation is sad. Hopefully I will make the right choice. Also, I believe it has been inactive/dormant for about 12 months but I really do not know for sure at this point.
Infectious Diseases - 3 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
1st I would want to know how long it has been inactive? And was this child treated with antibiotics for a course? You should know more if you can decline any client....but you could also wear a special mask, kinda like the surgical ones.But they are a little different. As for removing from the case without seeming uncaring...google tb and learn some info before letting fear grip you.
2 :
If the TB is inactive, it means that it is not contageous and cannot be spread unless it becomes active and that even then doesn't mean that you will catch it because TB isn't just in the lungs, it can be in the space surrounding the lungs, where not even coughing can spread it. It can also be in other places in the body. It being inactive also means that it was treated aggressively with antibiotics, like every other TB case. I would still make myself aware of TB through research, but turning down a client because of this is quite early to be doing so. Think about it. If you turn this client down, someone will know that you turned them down because of the inactive TB, then another person won't take the case, then another, and another all because they will be scared to take care of someone with an illness. Granted it is a scary illness, but it can be treated and cured as long as they are compliant with treatment. I don't believe that your place of work would give you this client if they were contageous anyway. TB patients during an active phase of TB are usually put in a negative pressure room and separated from others. Since this child is inactive, it means that they are ok to go into the public. Instead of quitting on this client, wear a mask if it makes you feel safer. I would do that rather than further let the child know that no one wants to be around it because of an illness that isn't possibly contageous. I am not trying to make you feel bad, but if everyone thought of their own health and well being, there wouldn't be nurses, doctors, and any other health professionals to help their clients.
3 :
I would echo the nursing student in the need to become more informed about TB - mechanisms for transmission - how the child is to be monitored etc. I would want to meet with the health department (who ultimately would track infectious disease). Your agency should fully support you in becoming educated not only for yourself but also for your client. You would also then be able to practice appropriate universal cautions. One of the things that social workers want to do is be able to educate their clients about the illnesses they are working with. Being able to translate the world of medicine is very useful. It seems like you are a very conscientious social worker and that this would be of tremendous help to your client. DA
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