I had my first needle stick injury back in November 2009, I was working for Mollen Immunization clinic, and after giving an IM shot to a young girl (about 16-17) I accidently punctured my finger with the dirty needle. I dont know what happend, I guess it was a classic example of needle stick injury that so often happens to people working in the health care industry, you know we read about the statistics, thinking that some of it is made up, but than you realize (after being a victim yourself) that most nurses will be exposed to blood, dirty needle at one point in their lifetime, I guess you cant predict it, could happen regardless the precautions you take. I never followed up with my needle stick injury. I actually never told anyone. The girl looked like a girl next door, clean cut, goody, goody girl. Yet, sometimes I wonder...
Specializes in Trauma Surgery, Nursing Management.
A resident accidentally bovied through my glove with a needle tipped bovie. It hurt like the dickens (and I turned the air blue while I read him the Riot Act), and since it was a trauma pt, I had no hx to rely on. Even if I had, I would still have chosen to get checked out. I did report it, got blood drawn, pt's blood was drawn and Risk Management contacted me. My NM actually asked to meet with me regarding the incident and asked me what I could have done to prevent the injury. It took me a few seconds to gain my composure before I responded, "I think your question would be better answered by the resident who was not paying attention to which button he was pressing on the bovie pencil".
Now I'm going way back to 1975, my 1st job in an SNF. I had a patient who only spoke German and suffered from advanced Dementia. Us nurses had to be very creative when giving her Insulin. This poor woman would bite, spit kick, punch and swear at you in German! As I greeted her when I entered the room, explained in English that I would be giving her insulin, I quickly uncapped the needle and proceeded to give her an sc injection in her left arm. Before I knew it she had my arm twisted, call me a Swinhnund (sp? Dog in English)& while spitting on me, grabbed the syringe out of my had and stabbed me with it. Needless to say after all the "needle stick" protocol, we all had a good laugh!
I stuck myself with a clean butterfly once, then almost exposed my patient. The cap wouldn't come off and when I pulled it off with force, it must have stuck me, and I didn't even feel it (those butterflies are what 28 gauge? later it felt like I had gotten a splinter). It wasn't until I was leaning over the patient's arm about to stick her that I saw blood in the thumb of my glove. I just stood up and said "I think I should get a different needle. I just don't trust this one." Now that would've been an interesting incident report.
I tripped while turning around attempting to put a dirty Aranesp needle into the sharps container. I put my other hand up and stabbed myself right in the thumb. To top it off I was 16 weeks pregnant with my first child. Blood tests were all negative but it was still so upsetting.
Thankful to say the only time I've stabbed myself with anything was when I was trying to hang a new bag of IV fluids on sterile tubing in the dark. Just got the tubing out of the package pulled the cap off the spike and the bag of fluids and promptly drove the spike straight into my thumb. Hurt like hell, but thankfully was still sterile.
I have not had a needle stick yet. I have had a blood borne exposure via stethoscope, though. I had a patient who had been stabbed. Blood was everywhere. I was leaning down and holding pressure and he was moving. My stethoscope was around my neck. The end of the stethoscope got bloody. Then, as I was wrapping a pressure dressing around his torso, the bloody stethoscope hit me right in the mouth.
Lesson? Don't have a swinging stethoscope around your neck with a really bloody patient.
canesdukegirl, BSN, RN
1 Article; 2,543 Posts
A resident accidentally bovied through my glove with a needle tipped bovie. It hurt like the dickens (and I turned the air blue while I read him the Riot Act), and since it was a trauma pt, I had no hx to rely on. Even if I had, I would still have chosen to get checked out. I did report it, got blood drawn, pt's blood was drawn and Risk Management contacted me. My NM actually asked to meet with me regarding the incident and asked me what I could have done to prevent the injury. It took me a few seconds to gain my composure before I responded, "I think your question would be better answered by the resident who was not paying attention to which button he was pressing on the bovie pencil".