how should this situation be handled?

[Ms.RN]

a staff from different department other than nursing took out an insulin syringe from the med cart and started playing with a nurse and accidently poked her on the arm. how do you think this situation needs to be handled?

[Pipsqueak, ADN]

Yikes!!! I would definitely fill out an incident report and report it to the supervisor. I'm not sure the context of the situation, was the nurse just as guilty of carrying on/horseplay as the nonnursing party? Or was she an unwilling participant?

Either way, how on earth did this person have access to the med cart?? It should be kept locked at all times when not in use. It sounds as if some major education and perhaps disipline is needed for all the staff involved, including the person whose responsibility it was to ensure the med cart be locked while unsupervised.

[Ms.RN]

no a nurse involved didnt like other staff kidding with her with a syringe in her hand and kept telling her to stop but she kept doing it and end up poking her in her arm. so this nurse went to a clinic, did a blood testing. our don and administrators are notified.

[crissrn27, RN]

She went to have a blood test? Don't tell me it was a dirty needle?

[pebbles, BSN, RN]

An occurrence report needs to be filed, and supervisors need to be talked to.

This "other staff" was playing around inappropriately, and dangerously in a workplace. The nurse told the other staff to stop, and she didn't. This could count as an assault, actually.

The supervisor needs to have a long talk with this Other Staff about inappropriate behaviour in the workplace.

[Okami_CCRN, BSN, RN]

Well I believe incident reports and employee injury reports need to be filled out of course.

This then needs to be reported the appropriate managers/supervisors.

I would imagine Human Resources will become involved and the person who took out the needle will be either legally charged with a crime or fired, maybe both.

BTW NJ BON just passed a new law that all medcarts must be free of any sharps or objects that may be percieved as sharps. They are to remain in the medroom until they are needed.

[morte, LPN, LVN]

An occurrence report needs to be filed, and supervisors need to be talked to.

This "other staff" was playing around inappropriately, and dangerously in a workplace. The nurse told the other staff to stop, and she didn't. This could count as an assault, actually.

The supervisor needs to have a long talk with this Other Staff about inappropriate behaviour in the workplace.

as noted in the "i was slapped by a doctor" thread this is BATTERY, and, if maliciousness could be proved, may rise to criminal rather than misdeamenor (sp).....especially if it was a DIRTY needle.......but no matter how you slice it, the nurse whose responsibility it was to lock the cart is going to be in trouble......the "attacker" should be fired, and criminally charged

[nrsang97, BSN, RN]

Deffinately incident report. That is just dangerous. Why was blood tesing if the insulin syringe was taken from the med cart? I am then assuming a clean needle. Or did it already have insuling drawn up into it? Either way that is just stupid behavior.

[UM Review RN, ASN, RN]

a staff from different department other than nursing took out an insulin syringe from the med cart and started playing with a nurse and accidently poked her on the arm. how do you think this situation needs to be handled?

if someone did that to me, i'd expect them to be fired on the spot.

[NursingAgainstdaOdds]

I'm with Angie - that person should be fired.

[Keepstanding, ASN, RN]

The nurse who did the stabbing sounds unstable to me. She needs to be fired.

Even joking around....this crossed the line !

[Jules A, MSN]

I am totally shocked to read that something like this happened. I agree with the people that feel the "stabber" should be fired immediately. It sounded like a clean needle, so why the blood testing? If it was a dirty needle I would consider filing criminal charges. That is just ridiculous.