to tell or not to tell?

[ablynn]

Hi everyone.

I am a nursing student. I have two questions to ask that is disturbing yet frustrating. While I was in observation in the OR, I observed several nurses not complying with sterile technique or even washing their hands between patients, cleaning, etc. NO HANDWASHING was observed at all. Another instance was a nurse dropped a syringe onto the floor, but still used it.

1) You can't complain to the hospital because our school would not be allowed to continue clinicals in upcoming semesters. Do you observed this 'out in the real world'? Do you tell?

2) What about the patient's rights? Or being an advocate for them? Do you tell?

What do you do? as a student? as a nurse? as an instructor?

Thanks for taking the time to read and respond!

[Miss Ludie]

Im such a hard ask beech that I woulda aske that nurse who didnt wash up why she didnt wash her hands. I got through scshool fine and to me pushing a dirty needle into a patient is assault and battery and it needed to be stopped before it was time to talk with a instructor. Yo don't have to make a big deal just reach for the syringe and say here lets get a new one that ones dirty.