Ever Gotten STUCK w/a Needle???

RN1121 · Nov 28, 2007

Did you report that to employee health? Was the pt high risk?

I believe that sub-q needle sticks are low risk because the needle is such a small bore, but never the less, you probably should follow up with your employer.

I find Google to be very helpful. Looking up needle stick statistics may help ease your mind.

I'm sure you'll get many responses from this thread.

Best Wishes.

kwagner_51 · Nov 28, 2007

Yes. Thanksgiving Night 2 years ago. The nurse before me used a needle and cap to cover the lure-lock on the end of the tubing. I was running vanco and gentamycin for paricarditis. There was blood in the tubing and I had to pull the needle out of my finger!!

liquidblue · Nov 28, 2007

Yeah, in working as a phlebotomist I did get stuck by a dirty needle, once. The patient (out of the blue) decided to start moving her arm, and I just happened to be using my index finger to palpate/figure out where to redirect the needle. So, of course the needle came out of her arm and went into my index finger. :)

Everything has turned out fine so far, though.

MNmom3boys · Nov 28, 2007

Yep. Dentist stuck me while re-caping anesthesia syringe several years ago. Had to do whole testing routine for self and patient. Not fun for either of us, but no problems.

GeauxNursing · Nov 28, 2007

15 gauge needle. removing it after pts dialysis. the tape stuck to me, also to the needle. out comes the needle! my instinct was to stick my thumb over the exit site, which sent the needle into my thumb, at the base of cuticle had to leave (in the middle of turnover) go go to ER for blood draws. (the phlebotomist who took my blood was terrible! left the needle dangling from my arm, which of course bruised up like an infiltrated new fistula.) wasnt the high point of my career. everything checked out fine, we had the pts labs redrawn the next tx.

Proverbs 16:3 · Nov 28, 2007

yes and i don't have a lincense yet. Gave an insulin shot and on the arm with patient in chair in a terrible part of her room watching tv. Just when i pulled it out, she turns to ask me "did you give it yet" and wham! it goes into my other index finger which i'd used to pinch that skin. Good thing is she was a "heavy set" 80y.o lady and it was subcut. injection. I did report it though and spent my nite at the er.

Thank God there was not blood on it.

EmmaG, RN · Nov 28, 2007

Once I gave an IM injection (he never got IV meds) to a patient with sickle cell. He'd received so many injections his hips and thighs were mostly scar tissue--- hard as rocks. The best way I can describe it is that it 'bounced' off him as I tried to dart it in, and caught me in the web between my thumb and forefinger.

Then I had a old retired dentist whose son had instructed him to ball up kleenex and toss them at a trash can for "PT". Every time I'd enter the room, there'd be little wadded up tissues all over the place (old guy was a terrible shot). So one night I go in the room and reach down to pick up the tissues, and a needle goes deep into the pad of my thumb. He'd pulled out his portacath needle and wrapped it in one of the tissues before tossing it (maybe he thought the added weight would give him an advantage).

He really wasn't confused except maybe to time. I yelled out in pain and surprise, and as I pulled the needle out of my thumb he started chanting "I got AIDS! I got AIDS! I was a dentist and I got AIDS!"

:stone

So I ended up calling the son who was mortified at what his Dad had done and said, assured me he didn't have 'AIDS' and apologized for what had happened. I told him I had to check, because they wanted to give me the prophylactic meds. We were both negative, btw.

I've had a few other exposures, but those are the only two needle sticks I remember.

Once saw a nurse recap a needle holding the cap in her teeth and she jabbed it into her lip instead.

SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN · Nov 28, 2007

Recapped a dirty needle. Needle pierced the cap and me.

Don't recap a used needle. They had mentioned that in school.

I wasn't nervous, given the population I had, but it's still a big deal. Rally upsets your charge nurse and DON.

ASSEDO · Nov 28, 2007

Yes, many times in surgery. We play with needles and other sharps all day long. Sometimes have as many at +100 on one case. Been cut by a blade too. Burned by a bovie. God I love this job!

TazziRN, RN · Nov 28, 2007

Many many many many times. Even harpooned myself with a filter needle once and bled all over the med room.

Shantas · Nov 28, 2007

I stuck myself with a dirty insulin needle when I was trying to re-cap it. I was a student nurse and I was patrified. Both my patient and I had to get tested and we were cleared....since then I never re-capped a needle again.