Docs and their dirty sharps...

[neneRN]

Just curious to see if your docs routinely clean up their sharps after inserting central lines and chest tubes?

I never really gave it much thought until one of our newer docs kind of looked at me funny when I thanked him for clearing his sharps from his used central line kit and he remarked, "I'm a big boy, I can clean up my own mess." Most of the other docs just leave everything at bedside for the nurse to clean up,i.e., dig through all the bloody sharps, and I've become so used to automatically doing it that I really didn't give it a second thought. But since that doc made that comment, I find myself getting irritated now when I have to clean up after the others; its not the cleaning up, its the digging for the dirty sharps, the putting myself at risk for a stick, just because I'm the nurse.

So have the docs in my ER gotten into a bad habit or do they all do this?

[schoona]

Most of our regular docs are ok, but it's the locums or o'seas trained that are an issue. 6/12 ago I got stuck buy a needle that had a safety cover, but the doc didn't take the micro second to flick it down or the whole second to put it in the dirty sharps container.

However, the orthopods are the worst, when they come down to do a plaster and leave the plaster room in the greatest mess. I refuse to clean it and let the ED reg sort it (his peers).

Just have to get the docs though:beercuphe to get their coffee mugs from the docs office to the sink, I may be a mum, but not theirs!!!

[UtErRnEmt]

At the teaching hospital i work at all the medical staff including the attendings clean up their sharps. one time a resident left the chest tube tray out with dirty sharps on it and got a butt chewing from the attending.

[julieK]

I'd be happy if they'd just put the bed down in lowest position with side rails up x 2!!!

[lalang]

IN OUR UNIT THE DOCS ALWAYS DISPOSE THEIR SHARPS AFTER INSERTING AN IVF. BUT SOMETIMES SOME LAZY DOC LEAVE IT IN AN IVF TRAY AND WE (NURSES) CALLD THE ATTENTION OF THAT DOCS.

[lyraesullivan]

Any of you that work in hospitals that don't require Doc's to do this may want to remind risk management of OSHA. The hospital I work at is pretty good but there were a couple bad apples. One ER doc.....I just smiled and told him that unless he wanted to be responsible for all of my future medical care and the cost of raising my children and maintaining my household then he should clean up his mess. I've never had a problem with him again, well at least about that

[nurturing_angel]

Most of our OB's and midwives take care of their own sharps. If not they place them all in the same metal cup on the delivery table so we don't have to worry about a nasty surprise when cleaning up the delivery table. I have worked with one OB/Gyn that went even further and would actually count and put all the instruments in to soak and clean up the drapes off the floor. Anything that went into the red bag (hazardous waste bags) he would put in and tie the bag up. Made clean up for the nurse very easy when she also had the new mom to tend too.

:balloons:

[AliRae]

I remember a few months ago ... I was still quite new, and was assisting an attending with a central line placement. She has a tendency to be harsh and demanding on the new kids, so I was trying do do everything right. When she finished, I reached over to start cleaning things up (I'm also a little OCD about cleanliness in my rooms!). She shook her head at me and said, "Nope. That's our job. And you let me know if any of those residents don't think so."

Yay! And I've never had a problem with it.

[scaredofshots]

I was thinking the same thing about OSHA anyway if your hospital doesn't already have set guidelines about this then why don't you start the ball rolling talk with your co workers and get together and demand safe working conditions!

[nursejohio, ASN, RN]

Why did I not think of OSHA before? :doh: We have one specific doc who always leaves dirty sharps out on the delivery table, doesn't even bother to stick them in the little sharp box that's set up with the rest of the instruments. The older nurses all know about it, but don't bother to inform the ones that are new to the unit. I came within about 1/2 inch from getting my first stick thanks to him... :angryfire

[nuangel1, BSN, RN]

i have worked many hospitals and many different units and it is a rare md that doesn't clean up his site ie the sharp the ones that don't get to come back and do it cuz i won't forget it .and alot of the docs get their own setup and supplies.

[JBudd, MSN]

Our docs are always so good at it, that the really rare occasion I found a missed one I just clean it up, and mention it later. No big deal. As someone said before, I always use hemostats to dig through stuff anyway.

[NicoleRN07, RN]

Our ER docs always clean up after themselves, even if I offer to do it for them. The surgeons at our hospital are the ones who think they're too good to clean up their mess, but they usually will put all the sharps together in one place.