needlestick

Nurses General Nursing

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hi i was just wondering if anyone knows what the laws are for safety needles in ny/ct. iwas just stuck with a needle from an hiv positive pt put on a cocktail of meds wich are making me very sick now i found out my office got rid of all our needles and replaced with safety.:crying2:

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I just finished a phleb class in the spring and I thought all needleswere required to have safety devices....

Good luck with measures...I will say a prayer for you.

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I don't know the laws up there but I thought that all needles were supposed to have a safety shield on them. I got stuck back in january with a needle in the biohazard closet and they were just sitting out in a bag not even in a sharps box:no:

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Specializes in Psych, Psych and more Psych.
hi i was just wondering if anyone knows what the laws are for safety needles in ny/ct. iwas just stuck with a needle from an hiv positive pt put on a cocktail of meds wich are making me very sick now i found out my office got rid of all our needles and replaced with safety.:crying2:

If the incident occured in NYS, you would be covered by the NY state occupational safety and health program.

I'm not 100% certain if Ct is covered by Federal OSHA or if they have a state plan.

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Oh they got rid of the needles after the fact!!!!! I thought all needles were safety needles!!!! That is CRAZZZZZY!!!!!!!

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Specializes in Infection Preventionist/ Occ Health.

OSHA now requires safety devices on all needles. If your employer did not provide them and you contracted a disease as a result, this can be reported to OSHA. If the violation was willful, fines could be imposed up to $70,000. I suggest contacting your state OSHA office immediately.

http://www.osha.gov/needlesticks/needlefaq.html

By the way, Connecticut and New York are both state plan states. State plans cannot be more lax than the federal laws, only more stringent.

http://www.osha.gov/dcsp/osp/index.html

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Hey I really feel for you. I am going through a similar bad time right now, I am suffering with severe anxiety. After HIV scare, from a cut from a dirty razor!! I visited a private clinic for a DUO test after 28 days (99.8% accurate at 28 days) and I was seen by the most outragiously gay Dr, who was lovely to me, but since then I have been having anxiety that he stuck himself with the needle before taking my blood. Daft? Yes, probably, but he took the needle out of the cap, put the cap back on to bend the needle, before putting it in my vein. I remember thinking, ' be careful you could stick yourself like that ' . He did it right in front of me, he didn't flinch or say ouch, but I keep thinking this might be true. I don't think I can ever go back to nursing, I am too scared, I know the risks of getting HIV or any BBV are low, but for some reason it makes me feel completely sick. In my heart I know probably nothing happened in the clinic with the lovely gay Dr, ( I am not sure what Gay has to do with it, probably a perception of increased risk?) but even the though terrifies me. My test was negative, but I am left feeling perhaps in another 28 days I should go to a different clinic to get another test. My husband is demented with me- what do you guys think, am I paranoid, or have I let the horrible thoughts scare me into imagining something terrible has happened? Either way, I know how you are feeling, but lets hope there's an end to it.

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hi I can sooooo relate everyone at my office is saying"well since your done with the meds you should be back to normal" not even close i can sleep ,I'm constantly second guessing every choice i make with needles .Just know your not alone.

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thank you so much for your help i contacted osha.

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hi I was wondering if anyone has heard of a nurse suing her employer after a needlestick

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