Nurse used same syringe on 67 people at N.J. flu clinic, state says

[proverbialwisdom]

http://www.nj.com/healthfit/index.ssf/2015/10/eeuw_nurse_in_trouble_for_using_just_one_syringe_a.html

Nurse used same syringe on 67 people at N.J. flu clinic, state says

By Kathleen O'Brien | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
on October 07, 2015 at 12:31 PM, updated October 07, 2015 at 5:03 PM

A nurse who administered flu vaccines to employees of a West Windsor company has been reported to health officials because she re-used a single syringe for the shots.

At an employer-sponsored flu clinic at Otsuka Pharmaceuticals last week, the unnamed nurse committed an "infection control breach," according to a spokeswoman for the New Jersey Department of Health.

"Full infection control practices that prevent transmission of blood-borne diseases were not used by a contracted health care agency, Total Wellness," said Donna Leusner, the spokeswoman.

Most of the employees impacted by the clinic breach have been notified. Although the state says the risk of infection is low, state and local health officials, along with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are recommending those employees be tested for hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and the HIV virus.

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[oldandhappy]

1. I am underwhelmed by the number of people

who deliberately do not do things correctly. This nurse knows better. She just did not do the right thing. She puts all these people at risk. And thinks nothing of it! I hope there is some accountability.

[uppityperson]

2. She used a new needle on each person, but the same syringe, could easily have been contaminated

[Hassin Bin Sober]

3. Ahhh that makes a little more sense.

Very little.

Was that EVER ok?

[uppityperson]

4. Not since I've been nursing and that's been quite some time.

They used to reuse the works after cleaning them, sterilizing them. But not simply reuse them. I couldn't tell from the article if there was any cleaning between uses, would assume cursory if anything.

You poke it in, draw back on the plunger to make sure you aren't in a blood vessel, then push on the plunger to inject the contents. When you pull back on the plunger, it is possible to suck up some blood, lymph, cells. When you inject the contents, tiny bits of whatever stick to the inside of the syringe.

There is less risk doing this than reusing the same needle, but still a risk.

[HubertHeaver]

5. It was ok a long time ago.

In the Army, 1942. The guys said they'd try to be as close the front of the line as possible so they could get their shot before the needle developed a burr.
By 1968 they were using high-pressure guns drawing from a bulk tank of whatever vaccination they were giving in that line. Lean into the gun, get your injection. In that case, cross-contamination was not as likely, but still possible.

[Dorian Gray]

6. laziness

pure laziness.

[proverbialwisdom]

7. Updates.

http://www.nj.com/healthfit/index.ssf/2015/10/nurse_suspended_for_re-use_of_flu_syringe.html#incart_2box_nj-homepage-featured

Nurse suspended for re-use of flu syringes on 67 people

By Kathleen O'Brien | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
on October 08, 2015 at 11:50 AM, updated October 08, 2015 at 1:42 PM

The nurse who re-used syringes when administering the flu vaccine to employees of a West Windsor company has agreed to a temporary suspension of her license, according to the N.J. State Board of Nursing.

The nurse, identified in the consent order filed by the agency as Mary Roback, is a Licensed Practical Nurse, or LPN. She could not be reached immediately for a comment.

The consent order says the board received a complaint that she inoculated 67 employees using just two single-use syringes. In addition, her shots contained an inadequate amount of the vaccine. She did use a separate needle for each inoculation, according to the N.J. Department of Health. (Initial reports indicated she may have used one syringe.)

If the complaint is proven, the order says, her actions would constitute "gross negligence, malpractices or incompetence." The complaint originated from the Department of Health, not an individual patient.

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http://6abc.com/health/nurse-giving-flu-shots-reused-syringes-in-mercer-co/1021662/

COMMENTS:

9 hrs ago
Neither passing the exam, nor ID matters. The trick is to get a fake license for one state and then go to work in a different state under "reciprocity". See what the state of Massachusetts has been finding - it's recent news. They found 13 fakers and put out a general alert. Then they found 2 more fraudulent licenses, and are still checking.

21 hours ago
Subcontractors. Whatta you gonna do.

I've lived in West Windsor and know it well. There will be lawsuits, many, many lawsuits. However, beyond the plight of the individuals directly involved, this situation presents an opportunity to examine regulatory policies in place in the rapid push to expand immunization access outside of physician offices.