Tuberculosis (TB) Exposure (Compare Your Local Government With That Outlined Here)
As a public health nurse (PHN), you are alerted to a person who has an active TB case. He came into the health department for a chest x-ray after he failed his tuberculin skin test. The person has recently arrived by plane from another state. He stayed for a few weeks with family members in a small house but now lives with friends in a small apartment. When talking to the patient, you note that he coughs often and does not cover his mouth. As a PHN, what steps would you take to determine
• exposure? How will you determine who was exposed and will
• need to be tested? What questions can you ask to help determine when
• and how the patient was exposed to TB? What type of education will you provide to him?
• How can you ensure that the patient is compliant with
• medication treatment? Imagine that you are the school nurse of the patient’s
• 8-year-old daughter who has also tested positive. What steps would you take? What would you do differently if you were a corrections nurse and the patient was an inmate?
• What are the ethical and legal issues related to TB? •