Hi. i'm a nurse. i provide direct patient care. have had sore throat, swollen glands and occasional productive cough. is it safe to go to work?

Probably not: The most important thing is to protect your patient from getting your disease. The average adults contract about 3 colds a year and thus you may have to stop providing direct patient care whenever you have a viral infection. Ask to be assigned to a desk job if you must work while remembering to use hand sanitizer after you are exposed to your own secretion. Wearing a mask may be another option.

No...: I would suggest to stay home for a couple of days, and since this might be most likely associated to a virus, rest and drink plenty of fluids. If you are providing direct patient care it is definitely not safe to expose other people(especially those that are frail) to a potentially contagious illness. If you get worse or very sick see your doctor for needed treatment. Hope you get better soon.