dilemma

[puppylover81]

i recently was told by a fellow student and good friend that she was stuck by a needle during clinicals (as she was preparing the injection so there was NO harm to the patient) and the nurse she was assigned to for the day told her it was fine, just to make sure to make her instructor aware of the incident).

our instructor has been pretty abusive to her all semester, threatening to fail her, so she was afraid to say anything that day, went home, and then told me about what happened.

i know that at this point she could get thrown out of the program for this, not coming forward. i don't think she realizes that there is a chance this nurse might just happen to mention it to the instructor tomorrow or the next day to follow up on this matter...

if a patient was in direct harm, i would have no choice to speak to my professor and tell her about it, but since it was just her and the needle, am i obligated to report this?

please help any advice would be appreciated. i am very close to this person, and am worried.

[llg, PhD, RN]

It sounds to me as if your friend's biggest risk here is that the staff nurse may say something to the instructor. As long as your friend understands that, then it is her decision to make. You can't run your friend's life for her.

If I were your friend, I would probably play it safe and report it to the instructor, but downplay it as much as possible.

[nurz2be]

i recently was told by a fellow student and good friend that she was stuck by a needle during clinicals (as she was preparing the injection so there was NO harm to the patient) and the nurse she was assigned to for the day told her it was fine, just to make sure to make her instructor aware of the incident).

our instructor has been pretty abusive to her all semester, threatening to fail her, so she was afraid to say anything that day, went home, and then told me about what happened.

i know that at this point she could get thrown out of the program for this, not coming forward. i don't think she realizes that there is a chance this nurse might just happen to mention it to the instructor tomorrow or the next day to follow up on this matter...

if a patient was in direct harm, i would have no choice to speak to my professor and tell her about it, but since it was just her and the needle, am i obligated to report this?

please help any advice would be appreciated. i am very close to this person, and am worried.

It is my opinion that if your friend feels abused or mistreated by this particular instructor that she should go to the nursing director IMMEDIATELY and inform him/her of the situation and the reason that she felt she could not approach her instructor and that she IMMEDIATELY reported it to her nurse for the day and what that nurse told her to do. If you are a friend DO NOT let her let this go. Take her by the hand and go with her if need be. I would assume she can be immediately removed from the program, she could in my program. Help her to help herself.