All nurses
have to attend the blood borne pathogen training every so often, but do we
really pay attention? Studies indicate
that taking the same training more than 3 times becomes repetitive to the point
that the mind loses interest, and essentially does not pay attention.
You could
go for years and never need to revert back to the bloodborne training, but then
again, you could need it next week, so a little refresher might come in handy.
What are Bloodborne
Pathogens?
Blood borne pathogens
are tiny microorganisms that are infectious, and are present in human
blood. They can cause disease in humans,
such as hepatitis. Blood borne pathogens
can be transferred from one person to another by means of a needle stick, blood
transfer, and sexual contact. Nurses are
more vulnerable to blood borne pathogen contaminants than any other group,
mainly due to the job requirements that accompanies the job.
Preventing
Exposure
The number
one thing that will help you avoid blood contamination is to take your time
when working with a situation that could expose you. 9 out of 10 accidental needle sticks occurred
when someone was in a hurry.
A
Scenario
Jane was an
experienced registered nurse, and had worked in nursing for 18 years. She worked in ICU and had enjoyed that job
for the past 4 years. One night the
emergency room of the hospital was overcrowded, and Jane’s supervisor asked if
she would help the E.R. catch up on patients.
Jane was happy to help and went to the E.R. Right away. As it turned out, they were beyond busy, Jane
had not experienced that busy of an environment in years, and she was working
hard to keep up with the flow of patients. One patient she saw had fallen after having too much to drink, he busted
his head open and needed stitches. Because Jane was in such a hurry, she opted to give the patient his
injection to numb the cut and prepare for stitches, without asking for
assistance. The hospital rules were that
if a patient was unruly, no needles should be used without additional staff to
assist. She took a shortcut, and the
needle pricked her own hand after his injection, he was swinging his arms. Luckily Jane did not contract anything from
this incident, however, she was required to take another bloodborne pathogens
class. Blood contamination can happen
quickly. Always think back to the BBP
class, and consider what could possibly happen.
A few
precautions may take a little extra time, however, before taking a shortcut,
consider safety, remember the class, and don't take a chance.
Safety
Medical
facilities have rules and regulations in place to ensure the safety of patients
and employees. Proper protective wear
should always be worn when working with blood.
Wearing 2 sets of gloves when you anticipate blood contact is a great
extra safety measure. One can be removed
if contaminated, and one still remains, so that changing out gloves is not
necessary. Little things such as the
extra gloves can provide extra safety, and prevent a contamination
accident.
The new
type of needles most hospitals now use is aimed toward avoiding accidents. The decrease in accidental needle sticks has
proven that the additional cost of the needles is well worth it. The unfortunate fact is, there are still
about 7% of the nursing population that will experience an accidental needle
stick in a year. Out of those accidental
sticks roughly 2% will become infected with a bloodborne illness.
Think
safety when working with any patient, and if there is an unruly patient or a
small child, get assistance, you are better off safe than sorry. Patients can be treated with dignity and
respect, and understand that protective gear is worn for the safety of them and
of the medical staff.
If you feel
that you need an actual refresher course of bloodborne pathogens, the American
Red Cross offers a course online for around $20. Your employer will also offer a class for
recertification. There are always resources to help refresh the safety measures
to be used with blood. Remember, a
minute saved is never worth an accidental stick.
Related: Skilled Registered Nurse, Certified
Hospice Nurse and Certified Legal Nurse Consultant Lucinda Perkins, RN, will be
Spotlighted in the Worldwide Leaders in Healthcare
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