Clean but freaked out

[CaliMSN]

I am a nurse who was diverting drugs. I am clean now, getting treatment, everything in my life has changed, finally getting my **** together but I am freaking out thinking about one of the ways I was stealing.

When i I was desperate. If the patient had a bag of morphine hanging I would pull some out using the port above the pump. I'm freaking out that I put myself at risk for bloodborne diaease. I can't get tested for probably another month due to some other issues. Realistically, how likely could it have been that I could've gotten something this way (assuming the OT had an illness to begin with). Or did the fluid mostly just come from the bag and it was far enough from pt to probably be safe?

[SpankedInPittsburgh, DNP, RN]

I've never seen a bag of morphine used. PCA's set on continuous but never a bag. Anyway, I doubt that you would catch anything this way as the flow of the fluid was headed towards the patient & I imagine you pinched the line. I suppose its possible but I really doubt it unless the port was very close to the IV site and the suction from the draw brought some blood into the line. Even then that would be diluted my the fluid in the line. Once again possible but I doubt it. Nonetheless I'd get a full blood panel to confirm. Good luck!!!

[CaliMSN]

Thanks. Of course I'll get a full workup done sooner than later. Just sitting here letting my anxiety get out of control and wondering if I'm getting myself all worked up over nothing. Scares the crap out of me to think I could have put my health at risk forever for some stupid stuff I did while in the middle of a drug problem

[Recovering_RN]

I second Pittsburgh's opinion, odds are very very low that you would catch anything.