If a nurse accidently sticks herself while giving a patient an IM injection what is the first action?
Rationale: Harding, M., Kwong, J., Roberts, D., Hagler, D., & Reinisch, C. (2020). Lewis’s Medical-surgical nursing : Assessment and management of clinical problems. Elsevier, Inc.
A) Report incident to supervisor/charge nurse.
B) Cleanse area with Betadine.
C) Irrigate area with sterile water.
D) Scrub area vigorously for 5 minutes with soap and water.
The correct answer and explanation is :
The correct answer is A) Report incident to supervisor/charge nurse.
Explanation:
If a nurse accidentally sticks herself with a needle while giving an intramuscular (IM) injection, the first action is to report the incident to a supervisor or charge nurse immediately. This step is critical for several reasons:
- Immediate assessment and guidance: Reporting the incident ensures that the nurse can receive guidance from an experienced supervisor or charge nurse. This will help ensure that appropriate steps are taken according to institutional protocols. The supervisor can guide the nurse on whether post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) or further medical intervention is required based on the type of exposure (e.g., risk of bloodborne pathogens like HIV, Hepatitis B, or Hepatitis C).
- Documentation and follow-up: Reporting the incident promptly ensures that the event is documented properly. Accurate documentation is essential for legal, clinical, and institutional purposes. The healthcare facility may need to initiate a formal follow-up plan, such as screening for bloodborne diseases or starting post-exposure treatments.
- Timely medical evaluation: Following an accidental needle-stick injury, the nurse needs to be assessed by a healthcare provider to evaluate the risk of exposure to infections. Depending on the situation, immediate blood tests or prophylactic treatments (such as Hepatitis B vaccination or HIV post-exposure prophylaxis) might be necessary.
- Institutional protocol: Healthcare facilities typically have strict protocols for dealing with needle-stick injuries. Reporting to a supervisor ensures adherence to these protocols and that the nurse follows institutional safety procedures, including notification of infection control departments and initiating a risk assessment.
While other actions such as cleansing the area with Betadine (B), irrigating the area with sterile water (C), or scrubbing the area with soap and water (D) may be part of the immediate steps, reporting the incident is the priority. This is because proper documentation and follow-up care are essential to minimize the risk of infection and ensure the nurse receives the proper medical evaluation and treatment.