Confused about recapping in the medroom

[giveface]

Something is confusing me that I need help with.

I would never recap a dirty needle, but I am confused about recapping a needle in the medication room during injection preparation. First of all, how else are you supposed to change from a filter needle to one that is a appropriate for the injection without recapping? When you hear "never, ever recap", is this referring to at the bedside once the injection is given? I have had a clinical instructor watch me recap in the medication room during preparation with the proper one hand technique in order to take a IM to the patient's room. I am obviously not going to walk down a hallway with a open needle unprotected? Yet at the same time my clinical instructor did this with me in the med room, another RN walked in and said that was improper as it could break sterility? I am totally confused. How else am I supposed to transport an injection to the bedside safely or change the needle on a luer-lok system?

Please help, I don't want to fail clinical over some stupid breech of policy (in the med room doing prep).

Thanks!

[SCnurse2010]

The only needles I recap are the insulin syringes when the pt doesn't have a flexpen because there isn't a way to switch out the needle. And I use the scoop method. When preparing any other injection that I must connect the syringe and needle myself, I use a needle or filter straw to draw up the med, engage the safety, dispose of that needle and apply a sterile needle for the injection. I was taught not to use the same needle since the act of puncturing the seal can dull the needle just a bit making the injection more painful.

[turnforthenurse, MSN, NP]

It's okay to recap clean needles, but NEVER recap a dirty needle.

If I'm switching from a filter needle to either a real needle or a blunt needle or something, just recap, grab the needle by the capped part and twist off and put your new needle on.

For insulin, I recap the needle after drawing it up. I place the cap on a flat surface and sort of "scoop" the needle into the cap.

A lot of needles come with safety devices. Instead of recapping a dirty needle (which you should never do), use the safety devices instead.

For the plastic part on these, I would kind of pull it out so it is sticking out more to the side (instead of "hugging" the needle if that makes sense), give your injection, then I place that plastic part on a flat surface (beside table or whatever) and press it into the needle. This is so you don't accidentally poke yourself if you are using your fingers to initiate the safety device. I hope that makes sense.

I would never do this - too much risk! Use a table or something instead.

A lot of needles have a button that you push to retract the needle, such as IV needles with the plastic cannula or butterfly needles. Please don't push that button retract while the needle is still in the patient, because I have been told this is very painful for them. Pull the needle out then retract it.

And please, don't ever stick a dirty needle in a mattress! That is not safe AND it is unsanitary!

[link51411]

this is wierd for me to think about, I guess its been a while since ive been out of the ICU. Ive never used a med room. I take all the drugs to the room, check them in the EMar, and pull them up there. the idea of pulling up in a med room seems risky to me for contamination purposes aswell at giving the med to the wrong pt.

[MunoRN, RN]

Are you using needles to draw up the meds or a an "access device", which is not a needle?

[DolceVita, ADN, BSN, RN]

Ok thanks you two! I thought this was the case, but I looked up another thread on here about recapping and someone said, "I don't even recap clean needles." And I was like, whaaaaaaaaaaatt? I should stick with what I was taught, just didn't want to make a stupid mistake going into my final year of clinicals. Thanks all.

When a nurse tells me not to do something I thanks them and ask them what they would do. Sometimes I hear a load of old rubbish but most of the time I hear some VERY good information. I always do what my instructor says and if I hear of another way I run it past her. If it is OK with her then fine.

What I love about clinicals, amongst many things, is access to nurses outside my school. They have a ton of info and experience.

[Katie5]

Ok thanks you two! I thought this was the case, but I looked up another thread on here about recapping and someone said, "I don't even recap clean needles." And I was like, whaaaaaaaaaaatt? I should stick with what I was taught, just didn't want to make a stupid mistake going into my final year of clinicals. Thanks all.

Except during the course of recapping a needle, you PUSH down on the plunger:idea:, I see no reason why a CLEAN needle cannot be recapped.