In clinical, I had two injections to give to a patient: insulin and Lovenox. The insulin went at first, but after injecting I went to recap the needle (for what reason, I don't know). Caught my mistake and quickly pushed up the safety cap. Already nervous that I had made such an egregious error in front of my professor, I went to prepare and inject the Lovenox. The only available needle was 1-inch (although I'm used to half-inch or 3/4-inch for SubQ injections), so I had to insert the needle half-way and at a 45 degree angle. As I pulled out the needle with my right hand, I hesitated and made a motion to recap (WHY!!??), sticking myself in the left hand. I went to the ED and through the appropriate processes. The patient has no hx of Hep B and C or HIV (thank God). I've given injections before and never has it crossed my mind to recap a dirty needle, let alone twice! I've practiced injections in lab, but because we don't have enough needles to continuously throw away, I've been recapping the needle after practicing the injection (and perhaps picking up the bad habit of recapping a dirty needle). I'm in my last semester and cannot believe I made this mistake. It has shook my confidence in becoming a competent nurse. Is this a sign that I just don't have what it takes? To make such a simple and important error seems inexcusable.
