needle-protective devices

[pa-tricia]

Hi everyone, I was wondering what you all think of the needle-protective devices you use at work. Do you actually use them and do you like them? I teach at a local community college and are amazed by the numbwer of nurses I watch that do not activate the needle-protective device. I was stuck in the past and cannot believe it. What do you all think?

[sharann, BSN, RN]

I think we need all the protection we can get, but I usually stick myself BEFORE the needle gets to the patient (the cover slips when I draw up the med). I have never been stuck with a used needle due to using a protective device, but we also have sharps boxes on the wall above each bay, so I don't always "activate" the safety device because that is unecessary handling in my opinion.

[P_RN, ADN, RN]

My most memorable stick was when a surgeon stuck me with a bloody needle after putting in a triple lumen. Don't know if the protective type would have helped. I must say that when the Protectiv jelcos came out I finally was able to start IVs every time because of the extra inch or so.

[Big Bab's]

I must say that when the Protectiv jelcos came out I finally was able to start IVs every time because of the extra inch or so.

Me too!!...I thought I was the only one....Although I still like the jelcos for babies...I'm not sure why?

[SCRN1]

I'm horrible at remembering the names of all our supplies, but can try to describe them, lol.

With IV lines, it's all needleless & everything's plastic. Except, of course, when the IV is started into the patient. Even then, the syringe has a button to press that retracts the needle into itself before removing from patient. All other lines attached to the primary line have no needles - they screw into the ports. The syringes we use to give IV pushes fit into those also without adding any kind of needle also.

The syringes we have on the floor to give injections have an additional orange cap on them that kinda sticks off to the side. After withdrawing the needle from the patient, we press that against the side of the bed or a table to pop it over on top of the needle. This is done without moving your hand on the syringe from the position it was in when giving the injection.

The prefilled syringes coming from pharmacy with certain meds like Lovenox have needles that automatically retract into the syringe once the med is pushed into the patient.

Do any of my descriptions make any sense? LOL!

[mcmike55]

I appreciate the efforts of companies to protect us from needle sticks.

I find myself all thumbs at times, and those thumbs always seem to be in the area of something sharp! :chuckle

That being said, we use Abbott needle less IV tubing. My problem with them is that sometimes the spring loaded valve sometimes pushes the tubing back out before I can lock it in place. We also use Insyte needles for IV's they have a push button that retracts the needle, leaving the catheter. They are much longer that what I was used to, and the learning curve was long, for me. Also, if you hit that button while doing your stick, you're done.

We all have trouble with a sliding cover over the syringes we use. It's an extra barrel over the syringe, the idea is that you pull that up over the needle, and twist it to lock it. I am constantly fighting that one. The cover is always sliding up when I don't mean to.

I hope my hospital looks into another syringe system. The rest of our efforts, I think, have been great.

We for some time have been using "scrub safe" devices to pass needles and blades in surgery. The plastic boxes "fell" to the floor for a while, but everyone is on board now. Thank goodness!!!

[CA CoCoRN, RN]

We also use needle-less, luerlock tubing. Except our buretrols (volutrol chamber tubing). If we have to piggy back onto those, we have special adapters that we use.

Our syringe system is now regular, luer tip syringes, instead of that god-awful barrel cover system. Our needles also have that orange cap that can be snapped over the needle without moving your hand or involving crossing into the path of the needle.

Our IV access system has the retractable needle. I LOVE those. Because of the increased length of the "case" I can handle them so well (I've got biggish hands). And once I retract it, I don't have to be paranoid about laying it down to finish the rest of my task since it's impossible to stick me.