needle stick injury

Sour Lemon · Jan 25, 2018

Hello Everyone,
Recently I was hired as PSW with a home care company. It was my first day on my own.I went to a resident who has cerebral palsy. she is type 1 diabetic. I was giving her injulin for the first time. I was very nervous. As I am not being trained to give injections in PSW program. While checking something on the units table. I felt something poked me but I was in a hurry to complete the task. So I gave her injulin injection with the same needle. After I was done I saw little blood on my thumb.I was shocked and thought I wish I would have seen that blood before and changed the needle. But it was too late. I felt very bad and started thinking that I dont want to give a resident any disease or infection. so next day I went to my docter and got checked myself for HIV, Hepa B, and Hepa c tests.After a week all the tests came negative. Is there anything else I should do.. Will the resident be okay? Are there any chance that she will get any other disease because of that accident.Plz help me

You've sough medical advice, which you were wise to do. There's no need to seek the advice of weirdos on the internet, and we're not allowed to offer medical advice anyway. :wacky:

Davey Do · Jan 25, 2018

You've sough medical advice, which you were wise to do. There's no need to seek the advice of weirdos on the internet, and we're not allowed to offer medical advice anyway.

And from this weirdo, not offering medical advice, but wanting to make sure you did follow the necessary protocol and reported the needle stick to your employer.

And welcome to AN.com, mailnancykaur!

Been there,done that, ASN, RN · Jan 25, 2018

"I am not being trained to give injections in PSW program."

There is the problem. There is no way in Hades you should be administering injections. You are working for a rinky-dink agency that is jeopardizing you and the patient. If it was a reputable agency, I would advise you to report the stick and follow their protocol. I doubt they will cover you with the correct needle stick protocol.

If it's any comfort, I don't think you will develop anything from that stick. You do need follow up lab work. It will require at least 6 months of continued evaluation.

Find another place to work.. report the rinky -dink agency.

Best wishes.

Triddin · Jan 25, 2018

You should have reported this to your manager when this happened and followed whatever policy your work place has. An ethically, it should be disclosed tothe patient as it was really the patient who was exposed. I'm really sorry your workplace is saying you should do tasks which are out of your scope but you do also need to defend yourself and refuse to do skills reminding them you aren't trained for it

EGspirit · Jan 25, 2018

Deleted

nrsang97, BSN, RN · Jan 25, 2018

You should have reported this to your employer.

chare · Jan 25, 2018

[...]
If it's any comfort, I don't think you will develop anything from that stick. You do need follow up lab work. It will require at least 6 months of continued evaluation.
[...]

The OP was stuck with a clean needle while "checking something on the units table." After injecting the patient, the OP noticed blood on her or his thumb.

The patient, not the OP, is the one with the exposure.

Been there,done that, ASN, RN · Jan 26, 2018

The OP was stuck with a clean needle while "checking something on the units table." After injecting the patient, the OP noticed blood on her or his thumb.
The patient, not the OP, is the one with the exposure.

Can't quite follow the sequence of events with the OP's description. Her doctor felt it was significant enough to screen her. The real issue here is, the OP is WAAAY out of her scope of practice.