Question
Can nurses who are HIV positive continue working?
4 April 2007. Related: All topics.
Should nurses who are HIV positive stop practicing? What about other health care providers?
Answer
There is no reason why the HIV status of the vast majority of healthcare providers should have any impact on their job. There are HIV positive nurses, doctors, pharmacists, GPs and other healthcare workers, just as there are HIV positive cleaners, teachers, bus drivers, police officers and nearly every other trade and profession.
Exceptions for employment issues only occur when there is a direct risk of transmitting HIV and usually a risk of blood-to-blood contact. This is not the case for most nurses.
Examples where HIV status can be an issue in healthcare include surgeons and dentists, who could put a patient at risk for HIV (or hepatitis B or C, or TB) transmission.
An assessment of risks by healthcare job, including recommending whether different HIV-positive healthcare workers should treat patients in England is included in Annex B of the Department of Health booklet:
‘Health clearance for tuberculosis, hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV: New healthcare workers’
A similar list for Scotland is at this link:
Scottish recommendations for HIV-positive healthcare workers
There are plenty of examples of HIV positive nurses and doctors, and no reported cases of this leading to HIV transmission to HIV-negative patients.
Hi Eve, I already repled to this comment – please contact an HIV organisation in Germany. i-Base is a treamtent service based in the UK. Good luck with your plans.
Can a Hiv positive nurse work in germany?
Hello Lester and many thanks for the question.
I understand it’s difficult to get information but we are based in the UK and I don’t know more information about relocating to the US.
This site might have some information for you (https://www.hivtravel.org)
and you can also check with the embassy in the Philippines.
If it helps in the UK you can work as a nurse living with HIV but you need to declare your condition with the HR and present evidence you are undetectable.
Hi, what agency should I apply in US if Im from the Philippines?
I am an HIV positive nurse
Hi Boul, Germany has no specific regulations regarding HIV. I-base has no further information than what is listed here: https://hivtravel.org/Default.aspx?PageId=143&CountryId=74
It would also be appropriate to contact the university where you are intending to study to ask if they have any specific regulations/requirements.