I have. I didn't report it because it was my own lack or responsibility. The guy died of cancer, from bleed out of treatment. I had a sq shot to give this guy. I also was asked to give physical patient care, after giving the shot. I tossed the capped needle in my pocket and spent time doing what he needed.

I felt this ouch. It stung. What I pulled out of my pocket was that syringe that I forgot about while giving patient care. I was stabbed by the same needle I capped, but forgot about. Believe me, the cap can, and does fall off and you can get stuck, if you bother to turn patients, or anything else of a physical nature, if you don't call for a nursing assistant.

This guy was in a PT rehab hospital, who was transferred every day, since we didn't have a house doc and emergency crew, for blood transfusion. We didn't even have a properly ventelated room to protect him from infection with a continual critical white count.

We all know the deal, meaning the cheapest bed. It isn't right, but the reality we work with. This was a guy of 32 being treated agressively with chemo and daily blood transfusion. He died during a bleed out while taking a bowel movement.

Do you think that I was going to report that I gave needed patient care and capped a needle, putting it in my pocket, thinking this was safe? I only went into that room for medication only, but was asked for physical patient care. All I did was cap the needle and reposition him, so he was comfortable, and gave him a urinal. A 32 year old guy isn't light to reposition, but I did it and gave him a urinal, which I emptied.

I thought that I would lose my job if I reported what I did. We know the rules of disposing of injection needles, but I thought a capped needle wouldn't harm me. I got lucky. I am fine, years later. He is dead from cancer.

I don't suggest risking your life over something you thought was safe, capping a needle, then giving physical patient care. Your life is worth a lot more than your job ever will be, but I was afraid and didn't get the antiviral treatment I should have, just in case of infection. I got no treatment at all and I am healthy.

I got very lucky, but you might not. Report it and get treatment immediately, even if it cost you your job. This is a much better alternative than your life.

stuck
never been stuck and I have a neat way to start your IV and draw for blood samples at same time reducing risk of sticks. let me know if u want to know.

Share! What's your trick???

IV start with blood draw
many nurses already know this trick but some don't so here goes:

If you need blood samples for lab and to start an IV.......
you can do both with less risk for sticks by not filling the piggy tail with NS prior to attaching it to your catheter.......
set up for IV start as you normally do, and fill a 3 cc syringe with NS (better if it is needless too) set the flush aside for now then go ahead and access your vein, when you see your "flash" go ahead and remove needle from catheter and attach the piggy tail to it, then tape what ever you need to.
Then insert large boar needle with safety vacutainer attached into piggy tail end, and draw for blood samples, (since their is no NS in the piggy tail you won't need to discard any blood) then release the torniquet and flush with the 3cc NS........this method saves time and Needle sticks for you and your pt!
lab will love you for having samples ready, your pt will love you b/c they are not being stuck back to back (IV start and then lab!!)free love!!
Be sure and follow what ever your facility protocols are :wink:

I stuck myself with a butterfly a few months ago. I had used it to draw blood from a 16 year old who admitted that she was VERY sexually active. I was very scared. We both had to submit to an HIV test and all the other stuff. I spent about an hour worrying but she was negative (so was I but that was a given). It was not a pleasant experience, although two good things did come out of it. First, I found out that my hepatitis series didn't take and I wasn't covered (I had to start the series again); and second, my risk manager pulled all of the type butterflies that I stuck myself with. It turns out that they did not have safety covers and were illegal by OSHA standards. I may have saved someone else from being stuck. I try to be more careful now, but I think needlestickes are an inevitable part of any nurse's career, no matter how cautious you are.

Re: Stuck with a needle?


I got stuck in 87.I Had not been in the clinical area for about 5 years.(private duty, weight loss, counseling etc.) Was drawing blood for a cbc from an inmate, went to recap the vacutainer needle( hadn't heard about NOT recapping, was out of touch since the BIG Aids epidemic). Stuck myself in the finger In a panic I opened his chart in front of me all the while squeezing the HELL out of my finger..... HIV+.....He had been since 82. Freaked out!!. So did he!!! Poured bleach all over my finger and squeezed it till it was purple.... They weren't giving prophylactic RX in 87. I got 2 gamma globulinn injections, a HEP B injection and a tetanus shot.I went through all the tests for a year. After a year they gave me a clean bill of health. I still tested on my own for another 2 years(They still don't know everything about HIV athough they profess to). LUCKY......LUCKY....LUCKY.....Had a nurse friend who got stuck. She went through the treatment, moved back up north, then her mom called and said she died of a stroke.....42 years old.....

In 98 I got a splash of peritoneal fluid in my eye doing dialysis in the home of Aids pt. I had put up all my protective equipment and was getting ready to leave when she wanted to show me something. I leaned over and she pulled out the tubing from it's clamp and the tube went, boing whang#*, and it spit right into my eye. Flushed thoroughly and called my office. Went through the testing again, No prophylactic treatment.......LUCKY AGAIN

In 2000 I reached up to drop a used vacutainer needle into the needle container(it was mounted way too high up to see the top). It was over filled and the back of the vacutainer needle stuck me through my glove as I went to put it in the opening. Lucky the inmate did not have ANYTHING, but again I went through the testing for a year.No prophylactic treatment.

So far, no more sticks, Still negative.