Dried blood

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Have you ever touch a side rail and saw dried blood or touch a counter and saw dried blood? Do you panic? Or just simply sanitize or wash your hands. What's the chances of transmitted infection if the blood is a few hours old

I don't flip out over blood. You do the best you can, protect the best you can.

I have got a patient's blood on me more than once on intact skin. I never reported it because I didn't think it was necessary.

I am very careful, but this is hazard in nursing. A dirty needle stick, I would report. We had a new grad on a unit once that flipped out over a needle stick and she was gone for three hours while we had to cover her patients while she had blood drawn, drug testing, etc.

When she came back up we were concerned and asked how she got stuck. When she talked about the steps that she took she actually stuck herself BEFORE she stuck the patient.

In other words, she flipped out over being stuck with a sterile needle.

:no:

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What good would it do to panic?

Practice universal precautions and immaculate hygiene with regard to hand washing/use of available products. Immediately wash your hands if you are exposed to any body fluids. Then go about your happy day, and you will likely be fine.

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I don't expose open skin. And I'm not anxious about intact skin, in this context.

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Specializes in ICU.

It kind of worries me that you said in another thread that you are a new nurse but you don't seem to understand how blood-borne diseases are transmitted. Did you not learn that in nursing school? I agree with the PP that state you need to see someone over this irrational fear you have. I could not imagine working everyday with what seems like a lot of anxiety.

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Specializes in HH, Peds, Rehab, Clinical.

Do you have any healthcare background? This is basic info that anyone who may come into contact with bodily fluids should know....

What's considered an open cut?
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Specializes in Critical Care.
Do you have any healthcare background? This is basic info that anyone who may come into contact with bodily fluids should know....

But the dried blood could be GAY! Then OP would get super AIDS

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Do you have any healthcare background? This is basic info that anyone who may come into contact with bodily fluids should know....

This person has posted on another thread that he/she is a new nurse.

But.....I just don't see how that's possible, concerning the serious knowledge deficit in this area.

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
I don't flip out over blood. You do the best you can, protect the best you can.

I have got a patient's blood on me more than once on intact skin. I never reported it because I didn't think it was necessary.

I am very careful, but this is hazard in nursing. A dirty needle stick, I would report. We had a new grad on a unit once that flipped out over a needle stick and she was gone for three hours while we had to cover her patients while she had blood drawn, drug testing, etc.

When she came back up we were concerned and asked how she got stuck. When she talked about the steps that she took she actually stuck herself BEFORE she stuck the patient.

In other words, she flipped out over being stuck with a sterile needle.

:no:

I can't count the number of times I stuck myself with a sterile needle. Then life went on. :p

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Specializes in critical care.

There have been links flying around Facebook regarding a magazine and posters that have been printed with HIV positive blood. Pretty wild reading. Definitely pushes some assumption boundaries.

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Specializes in hospice.
But the dried blood could be GAY! Then OP would get super AIDS

I really hope all that coffee I just sprayed didn't damage my phone.

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Really OP- you need to get a grip. You are 100 times more likely to get something from the handle of a grocery store cart than you are at your workplace where you KNOW there will be exposure and have PPE to deal with it.

Oh, no. Now the OP will have a few more things to worry about.

I'm not trying to poke fun at you, OP. As others have voiced, I am concerned with your level of anxiety. It is taking over your rational thought processes and not allowing you to apply what you have learned in nursing school to your everyday practice. Please talk to someone in employee health, public health or infection control so they can inform you of the risks of disease transmission. Although risks exist, they are very small in proportion to your fear of them. It would also help to talk to your healthcare provider about ways to control your anxiety.

Take a deep breath and good luck to you :-). You've got a long career ahead of yourself so get a handle on this now.

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Now this patient came in for elevated blood sugar but she's also has a history of pancreatitis. I guess that's what worried me more.i don't think I touched the dried blood but it made me a little nervous

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