how should this situation be handled?

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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?

i agree that it sounds like a charge of assault and battery could be filed...

especially where the nurse told her to stop.

and i agree about immediate termination.

leslie

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Specializes in Homecare Peds, ICU, Trauma, CVICU.

Please give us an update and let us know how everything turned out.

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i want to give you guys an update on this matter. to clarify my original post, she took a clean syringe from the med cart and the needle was not used or had insulin in it. i guess a nurse made a mistake of not locking the cart.

from what i heard from my co-worker, she called police few days later and i guess they filed a police report. my employer still didnt terminate this person who poked a nurse with needle. today, my co worker told me that this nurse threatened to sue the company and they finally fired this person.

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About time!!!! :) Good news on it being a clean syringe.

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Specializes in ER, TRAUMA, MED-SURG.

Just a thought, but maybe "someone" needs a drug screen! Imaturity is one thing but this act was not just imaturity

Anne, RNC :paw::paw::paw:

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Thanks for the update. Termination was the right decision here. Shame the nurse had to threaten to sue to get the person terminated. It should have been a given here. That person is dangerous.

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Specializes in Emergency Dept, M/S.

Thank goodness she was fired! I can't imagine working with a co-worker who thinks playing around and poking co-workers with sharps is "fun" or "playing". There is a time and place for everything - a sharps definitely isn't "it" and like others said, is assault. I'd be PO'd, to say the least! Any healthcare worker should know better - or anyone with common sense, for that matter!

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Specializes in NICU.

Wow I guess I'm the only one that thinks everyone is over reacting. I mean obviously that nurse was being careless. But none of us were there. Sure she shouldn't have been goofing off but I doubt she stabbed the person on purpose.

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Specializes in Emergency Dept, M/S.
Wow I guess I'm the only one that thinks everyone is over reacting. I mean obviously that nurse was being careless. But none of us were there. Sure she shouldn't have been goofing off but I doubt she stabbed the person on purpose.

Of course she didn't mean to stab her on purpose, but who the he** plays with an insulin syringe and "pretends" to stab someone, obviously with the cap off? That's equates to more than dumb.

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Specializes in ER, TRAUMA, MED-SURG.
Of course she didn't mean to stab her on purpose, but who the he** plays with an insulin syringe and "pretends" to stab someone, obviously with the cap off? That's equates to more than dumb.

Thank you!!!! You took the words right out of my mouth!

Anne, RNC:D:D

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Specializes in Trauma acute surgery, surgical ICU, PACU.
Wow I guess I'm the only one that thinks everyone is over reacting. I mean obviously that nurse was being careless. But none of us were there. Sure she shouldn't have been goofing off but I doubt she stabbed the person on purpose.

This was a very inappropriate "kidding around" for a workplace. Plus, the person asked her to stop, and she didn't. This was more than just an innocent "whoops".

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