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Discussion

Please Help Make Retractable Safety Needles Mandatory

i just created a petition entitled the president of the united states: make retractable safety needles mandatory in healthcare settings, because i care deeply about this very important issue.

i'm trying to collect 100 signatures, and i could really use your help.

to read more about what i'm trying to do and to sign my petition, click here:

[color=#234786]http://www.change.org/petitions/the-president-of-the-united-states-make-retractable-safety-needles-mandatory-in-healthcare-settings?share_id=rzqynuhwjk&pe=d2e

it'll just take a minute!

once you're done, please ask your friends to sign the petition as well. grassroots movements succeed because people like you are willing to spread the word!

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    • Featured Replies

    I thought this already was mandatory!

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    • Experts
    I thought this already was mandatory!
    Retractable safety needles are not legally mandated, which means that healthcare facilities do not have to use them at the present time. However, I think that a law such as the aforementioned one would promote safety for both patients and staff.
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    Why "MANDATORY"?

    So that hospitals can't just say, "We aren't going to buy retractable needles because they are more expensive. Who cares that they reduce risk of accident and injury? There's no law that says we have to buy them, so we are going to save money and stick (pun intended) with the non-retractable, unsheilded needles."

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    So that hospitals can't just say, "We aren't going to buy retractable needles because they are more expensive. Who cares that they reduce risk of accident and injury? There's no law that says we have to buy them, so we are going to save money and stick (pun intended) with the non-retractable, unsheilded needles."

    My facility had been using retractable needles for years. About two months ago the whole company decided no more retractable needles and switched to some really cheap needles. What better way express how they really feel about their nurses? They don't even think we deserve protecting from needlestick injuries.

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    Hmmm, I've been eating with forks for over 40 years and have yet to poke myself in the eye with one. (The rest of my post I'm censoring, you know where I'm going with it). :rolleyes:

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    I worked for a company that used retractable syringes. Apparently, they then thought the cost was too high and I got a memo to cease ordering them. I refused and presented statistics which showed there were NO needle stick injuries after we switched to the retractable kind. The cost of an ER visit, meds, and emotional toll of a needle stick far exceeded the cost of the retractable syringes. I'm all for using them, but we already have WAY to many mandatories...especially in Long Term Care.

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    • Experts

    I think 'requiring' retractable needles is a bit too specific for my liking, there are many safe (and probably lower cost) alternatives.

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    Hmmm, I've been eating with forks for over 40 years and have yet to poke myself in the eye with one. (The rest of my post I'm censoring, you know where I'm going with it). :rolleyes:

    But is the food you are trying to eat still moving, twisting & turning, or perhaps even being combative? :D

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    I have to agree, are you trying to mandate ONLY retractable needles? There are many other effective safety measures that might cost less as well.

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    • Guides

    Anesthesia uses lots of needles that it would be impractical to make retractable: Blunt needles, spinal needles, epidural needles, peripheral block/stim needles. A mandatory requirement like this needs to be studied in depth regarding the impact it would have on all specialities before any decision like this is made.

    The one dirty needle stick I have had in 13+ yrs it would not have mattered if the needle was retractable or not.

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