Sharps Containers in Public Restrooms?

[GardenDove]

Just finished my second CCRN review class, which was held at a hospital in the Seattle area. They have sharps containers in the public restrooms there. I hadn't seen that before, but with the growing population of insulin dependent people, it seems like an excellent idea. I emailed a suggestion to someone in management that we should do this, before someone in housekeeping gets a needlestick.

This sharps container appeared more secure than the average one I see in pt rooms. Also, it seems to me that other public places ought to start getting them.

[BJLynn]

I see them in lots of mall restrooms around here. Nice to see.

[GardenDove]

Gee, I must not get out enough, I've never seen one before in my life, other than in a pt care area.

[TazziRN, RN]

Never heard of that, but it makes sense!

[GardenDove]

I got a response from our QA gal, she was interested in the idea and forwarded my email to several appropriate depts.

[RNKPCE]

I have seen them in airport bathrooms starting more than 6 yrs ago. Diabetics need to put their sharps somewhere.

[muffie, RN]

yes, in my hosp's public washroooms

[JenTheRN]

We have a large population of diabetics in this area, I see those containers everywhere. From restaurants to the public bathrooms in the hospitals. It's really a great thing to have.

[KaroSnowQueen, RN]

The only place I've seen them is in casino restrooms.

[km5v6r, EdD, RN]

The local Shopko's and casino's have well secured sharps containers in the restroom's around here. I does make sense. What struck me recently is that many malls and stores have "family" style restroom facilities but the large teaching hospital with large geriatric and pediatric clinics I work at doesn't. I was going to the cafeteria when I noticed an elderly man with his wife in a wheelchair. He was trying to help her out of the chair and into the public restroom. Poor man didn't quite know what to do. I stopped and offered to help walk her into the facility. There I realized she was also nearly blind. Once in a stall she was able to manage but walking unaided, finding the stall and then the sink were beyond her. Had it been a "family" style restroom the husband would have been able to go into the facility and care for his wife as he does at home. Seems rather strange that mall, stores and resturants provide adequate facilities but hospitals and medical offices don't.

[CHATSDALE]

i, too, have only seen them in casino restrooms

[chase4myheart]

I worked in a factory about 5 years ago. One of the women that was in charge of cleaning the restrooms got a needlestick when she was tying up a bag of garbage. Immediately after that, they placed a sharps container in every restroom. I guess that management never thought about the diabetics that were working there and their need for insulin shots. Luckily for the woman in housekeeping, everything turned out fine. I just hate that she had to go through the agony of worrying about HIV and Hepatitis. It's a shame that more places don't try to protect the public against things like this.