I work in a family practice clinic that also has a very busy walk-in clinic. We do a lot of minor surgical procedures there and generate a lot of instruments. We share the nurses station as well as all our equipment with the family practice next door to us so the nurse that works there and I take turns keeping our instruments clean and sterilized. This month is her turn.
Yesterday she was stuck in the finger by a suture needle that was left clamped in a needle driver.
Used instruments are soaked in a container with disinfectant then they are scrubbed clean with more disinfectant and a brush, rinsed and left on a tray to dry before being pouched and autoclaved. The nurse had cleaned the instruments on Tuesday and on Thursday (yesterday) started to assemble the sets. That's when she was stuck by the suture needle. It was on the drying tray. The needle was stuck to the teeth of the driver, she had to give it a good knock against the inside of a specimen cup to get it off.
We don't know if it had soaked in the disinfectant and she accidently missed the driver while cleaning it or if one of the docs put it on the drying tray thinking they were dirty instruments. Bottom line was that one of the docs had left that needle behind. What's worse is that this isn't the first time that sharps have been left behind for us to deal with (I found a scalpel blade still on the handle in the solution. ) but this is the first time someone has been hurt.
To add to the turmoil, we have no idea which patient this came from so we had to call all the patients who had sutures done in the last week. Thankfully there weren't many and we will be asking them all to have a blood test done to check for HIV and hepatitis. Unfortunately, one patient has refused.
I don't know what the legality of all this is and I'm not sure what the nurse and the clinic will do about this. But I am so upset because it's something that just SHOULDN'T have happened. Aren't docs taught in med school how to dispose of sharps properly???
Specializes in Neurology, Neurosurgerical & Trauma ICU.
Actually, in our unit (and hospital), we have our docs so well trained, that I've heard several of the neurosurgeons telling the residents to make sure they clean up all their own sharps....or the nurse will have their hide! LOL :chuckle
that is horrible. and sometimes i wonder too, what goes on in these doctor's minds. why is knowing and abiding by the principles JUST OUR job? There was a doctor wher i did my pregrad, who threw a used needle at a nurse like a dart. Nasty old thing!
I can't believe a doctor would do that! Thats scary. I dont work as a nurse but I do enjoy cleaning and sterilizing equipment, however, I dont think Id enjoy it if that was the way people handed their dirty equipment to me. I hope no one does that to me when and if I become a nurse. :uhoh21:
By the way, Kay, so it was YOU who took my name!!! When I joined, I tried to use the name Kay and they wouldnt let me because somebody else (you) already took it. Poopy. Oh well, the early bird gets the worm. :angryfire
We have one doc who when done with a central line will ball up all the supplies (sharps and all) and put them in the patient wastebasket. He knows not to do this but still keeps on doing it. If you try to retrieve the tray you risk a stick to yourself, if you leave it you are putting someone else at risk to get stuck. Darned if you do-darned if you don't.
I wish we could do alot of things different at the hospital (which I am leaving). Staff has gotten away with so much for so long and is resistant to change.
Time to elevate that problem to the next level. You should contact Infection Control or Infectious Medicine. These folks need to talk with this physician since he won't listen you. This is way too serious to just brush off.
By the way, Kay, so it was YOU who took my name!!! When I joined, I tried to use the name Kay and they wouldnt let me because somebody else (you) already took it. Poopy. Oh well, the early bird gets the worm. :angryfire
That's funny! :chuckle
Since Kay is my real name I figured I would just use it here so I couldn't forget who I was. I've signed up for things online before using all kinds of lovely names but by the time I'd go back again couldn't remember who the heck I was!
What about a written policy that whoever uses sharps disposes of them? In an office setting - there is time to do this. Even in our busy ER - ALL our docs from the lowly med-student right on up to the chief of the department know that it is THEIR responsibility to dump sharps. Its not right that a nurse, housekeeper or anyone has to deal with these. Good luck...
You need to have a sit down meeting with all staff and doctors.
Everyone needs to be educated once again on the risks of a sharps stick.
I would tell all the doctors who are sitting there exactly what happened and tell them exactly what the process is for a sharps injury. I would introduce by name all those who are responsible for cleaning the instruments...make sure each doctor is introduced to these people.
Tell them all about the blood tests and the follow ups and the potential prophalactic drugs that make you terribly sick...make it very real to them....then I would reenact the incident...put the needle in the driver and ask them what the proper procedure is....I think they need a stark reminder that by their forgetfulness they have injured a collegue and frightened their patients.
I think a once year meeting about sharps safety should be done just to keep it at the top of the list in a doctors memory. It's also good to remind those that clean instruments to always assume sharps will be present.
Praise works well too...thank the doctor who is really careful..make him the example for others to follow...tell him how much you appreciate his care in protecting you...sometimes people forget that real people actually clean the instruments...when a doc knows you and knows it's your job to clean up it will encourage him to protect your safety.
Aren't docs taught in med school how to dispose of sharps properly???
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You wonder sometimes.
I was a patient at a very disorganized urologists office several years ago. I was so very sick that I did not report this...but the biohazard box was stuffed with used needles. Stuffed. Needles poking out the sides and the top. It most likely had not been emptied in a month. I was a Real Estate Broker at the time and knew it was dangerous but was not aware how dangerous.
I'm not excusing any doctors, but safety is everybody's responsibility--not just the doctors'. I thought the OP said that it might have been a doctor, or it might have been somebody else. But everybody seems to be jumping doctors over this incident, and I'm not sure why. I have had doctors carelessly pass needles, and I have been stuck that way. But things like this can happen and all health care workers need to take extra precautions to protect themselves in these types of situations. For example, just because you see a needle driver that you think is clean doesn't mean it's clean. One should assume that it is dirty and possibly holds a needle and take appropriate precautions to avoid injury. Yes, I know that's easier said than done. But it's the best way I know of to protect yourself from incidents like this.
Specializes in Gen Surg, Peds, family med, geriatrics.
I'm not excusing any doctors, but safety is everybody's responsibility--not just the doctors'. I thought the OP said that it might have been a doctor, or it might have been somebody else. But everybody seems to be jumping doctors over this incident, and I'm not sure why. I have had doctors carelessly pass needles, and I have been stuck that way. But things like this can happen and all health care workers need to take extra precautions to protect themselves in these types of situations. For example, just because you see a needle driver that you think is clean doesn't mean it's clean. One should assume that it is dirty and possibly holds a needle and take appropriate precautions to avoid injury. Yes, I know that's easier said than done. But it's the best way I know of to protect yourself from incidents like this.
In my case, it is the doctors. At the time I posted the original message, there were two nurses in the clinic. Neither one of us used sutures or scalpels. Now there's just me (the other nurse is gone) and I am extra vigilant when it comes to sharps.
I am, however, quite happy to inform that I have not found anymore sharps where they should not be. I remedied the situation by telling the powers that be that if I find one more poorly disposed of sharp, I will no longer clean the instruments. That means that they will have to buy disposable....and with the way they go through instruments it would cost lots and lots of $$$. Don't know what they did....but they've been good boys and girls of late. :rotfl:
OSHA would be interested in hearing about this. They can make a "surprise" visit, based on anonymous phone calls. Also, if you have regular staff meetings then this issue needs to be discussed. I hope the medical director sees the value in a safe environment, legally and financially, if not for any other reason.
this is a horrific and more commonplace, many, many years ago- before the years of HEP B & C, & HIV- we were not so afraid of needlesticks. There is another forum called- Needlesticks- share your painful stories -if you would like to check it out
I've signed up for things online before using all kinds of lovely names but by the time I'd go back again couldn't remember who the heck I was! 
NeuroICURN
377 Posts
Actually, in our unit (and hospital), we have our docs so well trained, that I've heard several of the neurosurgeons telling the residents to make sure they clean up all their own sharps....or the nurse will have their hide! LOL :chuckle