got stuck with a needle at work

[smartnurse1982]

20 minutes ago I was doing a bs on my home care client. I proceeded to put the lanclet in the container(we don't have biohazard containers in this home) we use old sterile water and ns plastic containers. Well one needle had pierced through the plastic and when I picked it up to put the needle in it imy finger got stuck. It looks like it peirced only the top layers of my skin. Are jobs required to have biohazard containers, even in the home? The client has hep c and d. I immediately washed my hands

[Jolie, BSN]

I didn't make my point very clearly.

When a patient is checking his/her own BS or self-injecting in the home, they may use whatever they like as a disposal container.

When a nurse is sent into a patient's home (or any other field setting) to give care, the nurse is to be provided with an appropriate sharps container. The standard of care for disposal of sharps (or any other personal protective measure) doesn't change for the nurse simply because s/he is in the patient's home.

There are small sharps containers with locking lids that can be safely and easily transported to and from patient's homes and other field settings. I use them every day.

This is an OSHA incident.

[smartnurse1982]

Exactly ! Well said, most PTs who are diabetics who don't have sharps containers at home or cannot afford them are taught to dispose of them like that. I'm glad someone else learned that in Nursing school! Kudos to you. Keep up the good work !

Sorry if I sound defensive, but I wasn't taught it and it never crossed my mind the whole 5 years as a nurse. Apparently neither did the higher ups just b/c u know doesn't mean everyone else did. And for community we went to a jailhouse with biohazard containers. One thing I didn't know is diferent states have diferent regulations regarding disposal. I learned in this state u can through it in the garbage but others someone has to pick it up