Health Care Workers Often Come To Work Sick, Study Says

BOSTON (CBS) - A new study out of Canada finds that health care workers often come to work when sick with a cold or even the flu, putting their colleagues and patients at risk for infection.

Health care workers are often the first to tell someone to stay home from work if they're sick but unfortunately, they don't always practice what we preach.

Researchers conducted a study at nine Canadian hospitals. Up to 95-percent of health care workers said they have worked while sick with a respiratory illness, usually because their symptoms were mild or started while they were on the job.

But doctors, nurses, and others with close patient contact could potentially pass their illness on to their patients, putting their health at risk.

Researchers suggest administrators educate their staff on the potential risks and develop policies to address employee illness.