Dirty Needle Stick....

BeenThereDoneThat74, MSN, RN · Nov 3, 2006

((((((((((((hugs))))))))))))))))))

I am so sorry this happened to you. I am not anal or neurotic about too many things with my students, but this is one area where I am. Can I ask how it happened? Was there a safety device on the needle? I am asking so I can stress the importance of this to my students (I already do, when I tell them about the many nurse I know who have had it happen to them). PM me if you don't want to share here.

Don't be embarrassed. Nursing school is one big learning exparienxce. Sadly this isn't one of the things you want to learn about in this way

onduty23 · Nov 3, 2006

i hope everything turns out great

PurrRN · Nov 3, 2006

Try not to be too hard on yourself with the shame and guilt and remember that no one is perfect. Everyone who you feel may be looking down their noses at you, WILL at some point in their career, make a mistake. Pick yourself up, evaluate your goals, and if you know in your heart that you want to continue, don't let anyone stand in your way. My heart goes out to you. Know that your fellow nursing students understand and feel your pain. I hope all the best for you.

Angela

rotary · Nov 3, 2006

Don't beat yourself up over it. If experienced nurses can manage to prick themselves, so can students.

Just the other week one of my fellow peers had a needle stick after giving a subcu. She was quite upset, crying, the whole bit.

Cheer up, it was an accident that happens more often than you think.

TsavarenaRN · Nov 4, 2006

Thanks so much all; I feel a bit better :heartbeat

What happened:

I was in clinical at a nursing home. It was a flu vaccine, 21g, 1 inch needle. All had gone well until I with drew syringe (it had one of those saftety sheath covers that you slide up over the needle; it was extremely awkward to do with one hand) I was taping the cotton ball on patients shoulder with one hand, with the uncapped, unsheathed needle in my other hand. My mistake was that I had the needle pointed downward, as I reached for the base of the syringe to slide safety sheath up I jabbed lower left thumb of my other hand. (If that makes any sense?) My first mistake was that I wasn't fully aware of where the needle was, my second mistake was that I was more focused on worrying if I was following all of the IM injection steps. Other people where watching, I was nervous. I should have just focused on my safety and patient safety. But hindsight is always 20/20...

Stress importance of aspiration!! Because I did so I knew that no blood was inside the bore of the needle.

EmerNurse, BSN, RN · Nov 4, 2006

Hope everything works out ok for you - the odds of you contracting anything are low, though.

It's always awful when things happen in nursing school - it's still bad after you have the license - you still feel like an idiot. But don't let it get you down - not one licensed RN out there is practicing without a mistake in her/his past, trust me on this. And watch out for the new glucose stylettes- I poked myself on one of those (thank God they're one use and it hadn't hit a patient yet) but still freaked me out.

Hang in there! You'll get past this too!

GeminiTwinRN, BSN · Nov 4, 2006

Thanks so much all; I feel a bit better :heartbeat
What happened:
I was in clinical at a nursing home. It was a flu vaccine, 21g, 1 inch needle. But hindsight is always 20/20...
Stress importance of aspiration!! Because I did so I knew that no blood was inside the bore of the needle.

I have to point out to you that the CDC recommendations are that aspiration is no longer recommended for the flu vaccine. Yes, it is an IM injection, but we are no longer to aspirate for that particular vaccine.

/end threadjack

I hope everything turns out well for you! I'm sure it will!!

:)

BeenThereDoneThat74, MSN, RN · Nov 4, 2006

My mistake was that I had the needle pointed downward, as I reached for the base of the syringe to slide safety sheath up I jabbed lower left thumb of my other hand. (If that makes any sense?) My first mistake was that I wasn't fully aware of where the needle was, my second mistake was that I was more focused on worrying if I was following all of the IM injection steps.

I'm not sure I follow. WHat I am curious to know is, were you attempting to activate the safety device with your second hand??

Of course you were nervous. That is understandable. But there are two things that do not go good together: nervous students and needles!! :uhoh3: (I know, there is nothing you can do to overcome your fears, except time and practice)

TsavarenaRN · Nov 5, 2006

I was going to activate it after I had finished taping the cotton ball to patient's shoulder....bad decision I should have done that first. I was concerned about putting pressure on injection site.

I didn't know that CDC recommends not aspirating for flu vaccine, my instructor surely knew that; maybe she was making us do it just for the sake of practice. She claimed that IM injection opportunities are few and far in between during nursing school.

calicamper · Nov 25, 2006

If your needles are the same safety needles that we have, the best way to do it is to slide the needle against a hard surface, a table, with enough pressure that the resheathing device will slide up over the needle. Some resheathing devices, will just click over the needle. It is still safer to do it against a table than to take your hand and attempt to click the device over the needle. I almost got stuck this way. Now I always use the hard surface of the table rather than my hand.

I am so sorry you got stuck and hope for the best.

Microbe · Nov 25, 2006

Our class gave a flu shot last friday and as soon as we took the needle out from the patient it goes directly to a punctured proof container(should be within reach) then we use a cotton ball. There was a safety device on the needle but we were instructed not to put them on, instead put them directly to the container.

My advice, don't do two things at once when you're practicing, learn from that experienced and don't let it discourage you.