Why would a hospital opt to use needles/blunt rather than Luer Locks?

[squatmunkie_RN]

I'm relatively new to this career. I've been a RN 3 years, and worked at the same hospital up until a few weeks ago I changed hospitals.

My old hospital job all we had was Lure locks...it seems so much safer and easier to use. The new place has blunt needles, or plastic tipped syringes. The plastic tip isn't very useful, as they always bend and require a lot of pressure to insert it. I keep thinking I'm going to stab my finger pushing drugs through a blunt tip needle.

[jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B]

The ones I have used have a plasic cover that comes off, leaving a blunt metal syringe which is what pierces the medication bottle for drawing up. The blunt is then taken off of the syringe leaving a luer lock syringe for replacing with a injection needle or attaching to the IV port for pushes.

I have never seen/used a plastic blunt, only metal. And I am not sure that would be an easy thing to use. But I also have not seen a luer lock that doesn't have a blunt on it for drawing up/changing then administering.

I am not understanding the part about pushing meds through the blunt--do you not have IV ports that are compatible with the syringe once you take off the blunt? Which you would have to do if you were going to inject IM or SC, as the blunt can't be used for an injection...and yes, you can draw up into the syringe you are injecting with without a blunt, however, sometimes it is less stress on your injection needle using a blunt first.

Most facilities have a "needle stick/safety" committee as part of Infection Control. I would talk to whomever your infection control nurse is and suggest that maybe they look to an alternate to a plastic blunt, and as a new employee but a nurse with experience, that the plastic blunts are awkward at best. If you have to push that hard to get out the medication, I would think the chance of sticks would be greater. And infection rate due to plastic blunt to draw up and then to pierce a port in an IV that requires piercing as opposed to the luer lock. (and then to then add a flush syringe--which has a blunt on it too???) See if infection control is willing to listen to alternates.

[classicdame, MSN, EdD]

they are cheaper for one thing.

Also, the people who order are not on the front line. In my facility, nurses from various depts, pharmacy and infection control all have a say in ordering this type equipment. We actually have a purchasing committee.

[Student Mom to Three]

My last job did not use a luer-lock system. Drew up with a needle and then used then injected into the IV line with the needle. This was a very small facility and I personally think they used this system to save money. Perhaps the IV tubing without the Luer lock ports is less expensive?

[Guest219794]

Simple ignorance. I highly doubt that iv tubing with those ridiculous penetrable hubs are that much cheaper than those with Luer lock ports.