stuck myself with needle

[SleeepyRN]

In my facility we do not have sharps containers in the residents rooms. At the end of my shift, I reached in my pocket and felt a prick. I pulled out an insulin needle. Im a brand new nurse struggling with 30 residents on a skilled unit. I must have gave the injection then put the needle (with the safety sheath that slides up on) in my pocket while being pulled in another direction as I was heading toward my med cart where the sharps container is. Obviously, by the end of the night, I must have forgotten it was there. I KNOW, very dumb of me to put it in my pocket even with a safety cap over it. Im so scared to report this because I have a history if being honest, doing the right thing, then having it work against me. Ive only been off of training for 3 days, and Im so scared they will fire me. They are hiring a lot of new people right now, so I doubt they would think twice about firing me, thinking Im an unsafe nurse. But I have to find out what risk I put myself at. I know the chances are minimal, but if not to know for myself, I have to know for my husband. I could never risk giving him anything I caught because I was too afraid to speak up. Any advice on how to bring this up to my work? I dont want them thinking im a careless nurse.

[MarggoRita]

I know how you feel, the more honest I try to be the more it comes back to haunt me, sorry for your situation. My facility also does not have sharps containers in the rooms since that would not be "homelike", we are supposed to carry a small portable sharps container with us but NOBODY ever does, far too cumbersome. I have also found myself on occasion putting the used sharps in my pocket when after giving the shot the resident needs assist to the bathroom or something, and I fear if I lay it down in the room it will be forgotten. To carry a container was never part of my training, and I only know of it because I heard it mentioned in passing once in the five years I have been there, perhaps you could approach the subject by asking what is expected and explaining what happened and why? What is the common practice of your peers?

[CapeCodMermaid, RN]

First off.....did you fill out an incident report so you could get tested and have the resident tested as well? I've never heard of anyone getting fired for a needlestick. I hope you're okay.