Doyou think this is right

[sunnyspin]

I currently work two jobs. One in a private physcian's office, and in a nursing home. Yeasterday while in the nursing home i was giving one ofmy resident her pm insulin injection. I sucessfullyrecap the neelde, but the needle bent and went through the cap, a stick my finger. I immediataly call the weekend RN. She told me to write up an indicent report and call the DON in the am, And that's what i did. This am I spoke with the DON and was told that I needed to be seen NOW. So i went in to the Doctors office were an HIV and Hepititis Panel was drawn, and i have to have all of the same labs drawn again in six months. I was not give an RX for prventative treatment, due to the fact that the resident has a low risk of having HIV. Also had to pay for the visit out of pocket due the fact that I don't have insurance. Do you think this I right. The resident had blood work for the same above labs,And the results arestill pending.

[Myxel67]

For a work related incident, I think they should have paid. If it happened in a hospital, the hospital would do the labs. It's a worker's comp and an employee health issue in my opinion.

PLEASE DON'T RECAP ANY NEEDLES. BIG RISK FOR NEEDLE STICK AS YOU HAVE SEEN!!! :nono: :nono: :nono: :nono:

[lovingtheunloved, ASN, RN]

Ditto, and if you MUST recap, secure it from the sides, not the top. I learned that the hard way, fortunately in the nursing lab, although who knows what cooties those mannequins have...

[Jolie, BSN]

Your employer is responsible for paying for your treatment for a work related injury. Given that they tried to push the expense of the blood-work onto you, I am not certain that they are looking out for your best interests. Do you have a primary physician that you can consult to determine whether you have been treated appropriately? If not, please consider contacting OSHA.

And like the others have said, please NEVER re-cap a needle. Do you not have ready access to sharps containers? If not, your facility may be in violation of OSHA standards.

Best wishes to you.

[sunnyspin]

The only real access that I have to a sharps container is on the side of these large med carts. The reason i didn't have the med cart was because I work weekend doubles, and i usally only have one hall. But in the facuilty that i work in the heating system is broken so the back of the hall that i work on does not recieve any heat, and the resident that were down there a separtated out on a total of three different halls. After two double shifts and working three halls, you start to take short cuts. But trust me that will be one short cut I won't be taking again.

[Jolie, BSN]

Sounds like a call to OSHA and the State Health Department may be in order.

I am truly sorry for the terrible conditions that you and your residents face.