improerly disposed needle got me!

Sanacruz, I'm sorry that you're going through what you are. Is this at a long-term care facility......are you full-time, etc....? The responses you've gotten from your superiors stink! At my facility, you must fill out "unusual occurance" or "incident report" forms and have counciling when needle-sticks occur. I assume you've done that. Plesae follow through with this. It can only help in the long-term.

As for the DON's response....ignore her/him. If you want to quit, then hand in your papers and be done with it. Good luck!

yes this is LTC and I am full-time but I only worked maybe 10 shifts there before this happened. My previous job still has my position open and will be thrilled to take me back, but I m tweeking- I callled the state dept of health services and the woman i spoke with asked me if I had a hep b booster. I honestly never heard of that and it wasnt mentioned to me at the ER where I sought treatment after the stick. I took my first dose of combivir within 3 hours of the stick.

I cant imagine any nurse threw that needle away; I think it might have been a friend of the heroin addict bringing in something to supplement the methadone maintainence (:angryfire 100mg a day)the patient is taking- Which begs the question"why is a methadone maintence client in LTC and not being detoxed?"

I am so sorry you are going through this. It must me terribly scary! I don't think any nurse would dispose of a used needle that way. Every nurse knows about the sharps box, and to not bend or break the needle. Do you think the addict would be honest with you if you told him what happened to you? Atleast that way you would know for sure if it was his. I feel really bad. If you want to quit, go ahead. Do what you need to do to feel better. How long do you have to wait to be tested?

Gooey- baseline bloodwork was done at the first er visit. I have to be tested again in 3 months

I do want to resign!I doubt the patient would cop to anything for fear of being asked to leave ;she was living in a hotel prior to admission and has been evicted from there.

Roshelly I have done all the paperwork. I would think the admin would try to find out what was in the syringe and test the high risk patient. The patient told me she was a hep c "carrier" but I would not put credence by anything she said- and i did not share with her the needle stick issue

Honey, calm down.

You are not going to get AIDS. You are not going to get Hep B or C. The patient was honest with you about having been exposed to Hep C and I'm sure she would have told you about anything else.

Calm down.

I know the admins are being cavalier and that upsets you, but they don't matter, nor do their attitudes.

You do. You're going to be fine. Now breathe deeply. Again. Again. Now, as you breathe in, think, "I'm fine." Breathe out and think, "I'm fine." Slowly.

You'll be fine.

Researchers have found that only 0.3% of needlesticks from a known HIV patient have resulted in infection in the health care worker. And this patient isn't a know HIV case, so you have a 99.7+% chance of being fine. I would say that the odds are in your favor :)

I am sorry that your employer is not more concerned for your welfare. I seems like you would be happier getting out of that facility. Good luck and I hope that everything works out for you.

Yes susquatch- i'm out of there, before I could really bond with some of the residents.I talked to the supervisor today-(not the snotty interim DON) and she is putting in her notice tomorrow- Too bad but nurses need a good deal more respect than is forthcoming there:rolleyes: