Blood borne Pathogen Refresher All nurses have to attend the bloodborne 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? Bloodborne pathogens are tiny microorganisms that are infectious, and are present in human blood. They can cause disease in humans, such as hepatitis. Bloodborne 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 bloodborne pathogen contaminants than any other group, mainly due to the job requirements that accompanies the job. Related: What does a nursing student look like? - International Nurses Association 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
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