Many jobs have occupational hazards but being a nurse is one occupation that carries the possibility of blood exposure or exposure to other bodily fluids. One of the many reasons that nursing is not for the faint of heart. With roughly 385,000 annual needle stick sharps injuries in the United States it is possible that you may encounter this at some point during your career.
American Nurse Today says that “most exposures are caused by a failure to follow standard precautions, such as recapping the needle, not using personal protective equipment (PPE), or unintentional disposal of sharps in an inappropriate container.” It is best to become familiar with your facilities’ standards and apply them each time while performing venipuncture. With busy schedules and heavy patient work loads this can become difficult but the facts are that these exposures do happen and you don’t want it to happen to you. Read more about what to do if you are in this situation at the link below.
Source: American Nurse Today
