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Research Shows Small Percentage of HCWs Still Reusing Syringes

Do Nurses Reuse Needles?

Needles are something that scares most of us. When was the last time you went to the doctor and didn’t feel scared after seeing a needle? It never happened, right? But what’s scarier is that the needle used on you has been used on someone else before. Did you feel all the fear at once after listening to this? You must have. All the blood transmitting diseases must have come to your mind in just a few seconds. When even thinking of it created chaos within you, just think, what if it is true? Read below to know about it in detail.

What Is a Medical Needle?

A cylindrical object that is thin and has a sharp point at one end can be called a needle. But when we talk about medical needles, the difference is that they are hollow and have a hole in the middle that allows the medication to get injected inside the body. If you look at a needle carefully, there will be three parts that you will be able to find. The shaft is the longest part of the needle, followed by a bevel that can be called the tip and the part that lets the needle fit perfectly into the syringe that is called the hub. It is resistant to corrosion because of the stainless steel material it is made of.

The Importance of a Nurse in Healthcare

Nurses play a very important role in the health care field. The majority of the people think that they are just there for the doctors’ support. But in reality, they are doing the multi-tasking at the hospital. Not just do they have to manage the patients, but they also have to maintain good relationships with their colleagues. A nurse records the medical history of patients and monitors their health from time to time.

Along with that, a nurse administers medications, operates medical equipment, educates patients about their illness, and performs diagnostic tests. This is much amount of work to do. This is why nurses are considered to be very important in this field. You can call them the backbone of health care.

How Nurses Are Trained

The level of competency in a nurse either increases or decreases their reputation. The word competency here means that a nurse is capable enough to fulfill their responsibilities and be calm with the patients, especially when giving injections. A nurse is trained for everything, including how to inject the medicine or take blood samples perfectly and the SOPs that need to be followed with a needle that they use. They are taught that the faster you pierce the skin along with making the right path, the fewer chances you have to create a trauma for a patient. This brings us to another question.

How Needles Should Be Used

The training given to a nurse also includes the procedures to be followed, from unpacking the needle to discarding it after injecting it into the human body. Every health care professional is aware that life-taking diseases can easily be transmitted to another body through blood. This is why they are given a comprehensive understanding of how to use and dispose of the needles after lots of use. The basic instructions that are given to them are mentioned below.

  1. The needle and syringe are inserted together into the sharps container.
  2. It is to be kept in mind that you should not recapture the needle.
  3. Once injected, dispose of immediately.
  4. Do not separate syringe and needle while disposing of.

Do Needles Get Reused?

The above-provided information is enough for you to answer this question. Reusing a needle or even a syringe is strictly against the medical practice, and if a health care provider does this, they can be challenged in a court of law. Doctors, nurses, and anyone else who administers injections is not allowed to reuse a needle or syringe neither on the same person nor from one to another. Both the needle and syringe should be disposed of just after using them. So, the answer is that needles don’t get reused, and if this practice is happening somewhere, sooner or later, they will face the consequences.

What if a Nurse Accidentally Pokes a Patient With a Used Needle?

When a nurse injects a discarded used needle in a person, it usually results in a great deal of anxiety and distress both for the nurse and the patient. The discarded used needle can result in HIV or hepatitis infection. In this situation, it is idle to let the wound bleed. When it is bleeding, the affected part should be under running water. One should not attempt to scrub it while washing. The nurse should use an extra amount of water and soap on it.

Why You Should Never Reuse a Needle

A needle is injected into a person’s body – having any disease that could be transmitted through human blood or bodily fluids – then the same needle is used on another healthy person. What will happen? Eventually, the person would get the same disease because of the infectious materials getting transmitted through a needle. A needle can be contaminated to a level you cannot even think of. A body may pose a health risk of transmission by using an already used needle. According to scientific studies, the risk of getting a blood-transmitted disease increases with each needle reuse. Even using a needle twice can put you in danger.

Conclusion

Health care providers work day and night to provide a better health care system to the people. Every patient that comes under their treatment is treated equally. Reusing a needle puts a patient at risk of several issues like hepatitis B and C and possibly HIV. So, why would any health care provider do that? A nurse who has practiced in this field for a long time will never reuse a needle, and if any such practice takes place somewhere, that nurse can be sued.

About Rachel

Hi my name is Rachel; a registered nurse. I graduated from one of the best nursing programmes and have been working in the medical field for 10 years. As a licensed practical nurse, I understand the plight that comes with the job. While I enjoy taking care of patients, I understand the long working hours that nurses have to deal with. We spend majority of the shifts walking around the medical centre making sure all patients are taken care of and this requires a lot of work and energy on the feet. https://bestnursingshoes.net has been created to help nurses from different parts of the world find the perfect shoes to reduce the strain on your feet and posture and make the job much easier.

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