I am looking for some input from other nurses's that work in hospitals. Recently our Nurse Manager sent out an e-mail to all employees stating that ALL needleless syringes were to be disposed of in the sharps disposal box. On our unit, this primarily consists of BD posiflush saline flush syringes. The e-mail had no policy attached or rationale behind the statement.
I have been researching medical waste disposal regulations in NYS, including information on the DOH and DEC websites, and cannot locate anything to support the need to dispose of used needless syringes in the sharps container (unless of course it has visible blood on/in it). Staff should assume ALL waste in the regular patient garbage is potentially contaminated and should not be handling it without using standard precautions/gloves.
Our hospital is cutting staff/hours, micromanaging the use of supplies, and has even asked us not to bring in our own cups and not use the hospitals paper cups. I do know that the cost of incinerating sharps containers is calculated by the pound and very expensive. I just hate to see us spend money on something, incinerating needless syringes, out of ignorance and not facts.
Are there any nurses here that work in NYS that have researched this? Not to be mean, but I am not looking for what people "think" or "feel" should be done, but what the regulations require.
My hospital's policy is to throw all syringes into the sharps, even if it doesn't have a sharp on it. I think its just because it has the possibility of being used by another person, and there is no telling what the syringe had been used for previously. We are not supposed to leave flushes, syringes, and needles in the room (although flushes are left in there all of the time). But at least if someone walked in and grabbed a flush, they know its unused. And we never leave needles in the room. And I'm also in a critical care area, so we access IVs much more then a med/surg floor might. I don't remember seeing flushes and sryinges/needles left in those rooms very much.
No you don't. I used to buy syringes all the time (from a vet supply company, no scrip needed) for my business.
lol, i was wondering how long that was going to take.....i didnt mention it on purpose!....but to go to the pharm. and buy them, yup. you do.
I guess it depends on where you live. I walk into different pharmacies on a regular basis and buy syringes of different sizes/types both with and without needles on a regular basis.
I looking at 50 luer slip 1cc syringes that came from a Walgreens today.
As for the original question, unless it was used to aspirate a body fluid or in the administration of a biologically 'risky' drug (Cimzia, Remicade, methotrexate) the syringe goes in the regular garbage.
Specializes in Medsurg/ICU, Mental Health, Home Health.
I am being completely serious. So we are paying all this money for disposal to prevent the VERY VERY small percentage of patients from picking through the trash and grabbing a needleless syringe?
I am not familiar with drug addicts and their deceptive behaviors. What exactly can they do with a syringe without a needle. Well I guess the more I think about it, I suppose they could but their drug in water and submerge the luer lock tip of the syringe into to it and draw it up and inject into their IV. But honestly I feel that if they are going to go to that extent for a high, they will find a way with our without our discarded syringe. Maybe the cost/benefit would be met on a drug rehab unit or psych, but I don't see it on my unit.
Also for the rest of you, can you honestly say that ALL unused saline flush syringes in your facility are under lock and key? None are in the rooms or on med carts? If we are the only facility that is not doing so, then maybe that is a problem we need to address as well.
I live and work in Heroinville, USA. And, guess what, a lot of these addicts are young, attractive, intelligent people from good families who clean up well.
Because a lot of these people are intelligent and observant, they know how to access the needle-less system. You never really know what's in a person's belongings unless you search through it yourself. (I used to in the inner city hospital, for each and every admission; we're not supposed to do that at my current hospital).
I've had patients attempt to put their own supplies of pills in their purse through their IVs using syringes left behind by a nurse.
I've also known a person to "play around" with syringes and inject air into their IVs or withdraw blood from lines. Or take syringes home as "souvenirs" and let their kids play with them.
Yes, all of my syringes are locked up! Some are in my med cart, but guess what - that, too, is locked up!
MsRehabRN
9 Posts
kyrshamarks -
Can you show me where in the OSHA regs it states that you can get fined for putting non sharps into the sharps container?
I can't seem to locate a reg backing that up.
Thanks in advance