Hi

I spoke with the College of Registered Nurses of British Columbia (CRNBC), which is the regulatory body for Registered Nurses in BC. Below are some parts from the CRNBC policy document titled Communicable Diseases: Preventing Nurse-To Client Transmission.

Nurses have a professional, ethical and legal duty to provide their clients with safe care, including protecting them from the risk of infection.

Nurses follow “routine practices and additional precautions” for infection control for all clients at all times.

RNs who have a communicable disease, consider methods and risks of transmission and take steps to prevent passing the infection to clients.

RNs who are involved in exposure-prone procedures must know whether they have a blood-borne pathogen themselves so they can take appropriate measures to protect patients from any risk of transmission.

RNS who test positive for a blood-borne pathogen must consult an expert in infectious diseases and follow advice related to any restrictions on their nursing practice.

Nurses who are involved in exposure-prone procedures and who test positive for a blood-borne pathogen must modify their practice appropriately, which may include withdrawing from the procedure.

Both nurses and the public can contact the CRNBC for information related to this question. You do not need to provide your name or personal details when enquiring.  Contact the CRNBC at:

practice@crnbc.ca
604.736.7331 ext. 332

Please leave a comment to let us know if this answers your question, or if you need more information.

Health Nurse

For other readers, please feel free to leave a comment, or let us know if this was helpful.