Clean Needlestick

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Specializes in Neuro.

Hi everyone, this is going to sound really silly, but I am a pretty anxious person. I wanted to get some insight on this situation. The other night at work, I was drawing up insulin (a large vial that is kept in the med room that all nurses draw out of). I cleaned the top with alcohol and then drew up my insulin. I then proceeded to drop the needle and I stuck myself (through gloves). There was a small drop of blood on the tip of my finger. I then took my gloves off and squeezed some blood out and washed the area with soap and water. 

I know that any risk is probably low, since the needle had not been used by a patient. I also realize that we draw up insulin from those vials and then go and give it to our patients deliberately, so an accidental stick on my part is probably nothing. 

Still, I have only been working as a nurse for a couple of months and I feel so dumb. I know needle sticks happen to so many nurses, but it just made me feel kind of incompetent. 

Does anyone think I'm at any type of risk?

Thanks

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This is much lower risk than I regularly incur doing mechanical work, or working around the house.  Breaching the barrier that the skin provides is very common for many people.

What are you worried might have entered your blood stream?

 

3
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Specializes in ED, med-surg, peri op.

Only clean needles go into the insulin vial. There’s nothing to worry about. The most you’ve got is a small bit of insulin. 

3
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Specializes in orthopedic/trauma, Informatics, diabetes.

this is why we have one vial/one patient. No sharing. You really use a vial of insulin and draw up out of it for multiple pts? 

The needle stick part of it isn't the issue to me. 

7
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Specializes in Peds ED.

I shattered an ampule cracking it open once and sliced open my finger. The worst part about that was having to use sanitizer while it was raw. 

You’ll be fine. 

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16 hours ago, HiddencatBSN said:

I shattered an ampule cracking it open once and sliced open my finger. The worst part about that was having to use sanitizer while it was raw. 

You’ll be fine. 

I cringed just reading that ?

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