the sheer number of devices and systems designed to eliminate
them. No-pass zones, needleless systems, safety blades and cov-
ers, additional sharps containers, retractable needles, double-glov-
ing and rules against recapping are all being implemented, with
varying degrees of success.
"We're always looking for a safer sharps shield that is easily
used by all," says a clinical director from Indiana. "We use as
many safety devices as possible," says Tracy Rhodes, BSN, direc-
tor of nursing at the Eye Center of North Florida in Panama City.
So how does an ambitious facility get to zero sharps injuries?
Clearly, the best bet is a combination: the right equipment and the
right attitude. "When there's a needlestick, it's because someone
felt pressured or rushed," says Jackie Crowder, RN, chief nursing
officer at St. Joseph's Outpatient Surgery Center in Phoenix, Ariz.
At St. Joseph's, "scalpels are passed in basins and our needles are
not recapped," says Ms. Crowder. "If you think you're going to
load up 3 syringes of local, you open 3 syringes and 3 needles."
Empowerment is key, too, she adds: "I explain to our staff that
we don't come to work to hurt people or to hurt ourselves. In
M A R C H 2 0 1 7 • O U T PA T I E N TS U R G E R Y. N E T • 9 3
es, the empathetic and caring nature of healthcare workers can
actually be counterproductive. "Recently we did a drill where the
scenario was that a family member threatened to get their gun
from the car and come back into the facility," she says. "We
called the code and all the staff ran toward the 'angry family
member' when they should have immediately called security to
the area and let them handle the situation. The general attitude of
our staff here is to run and help without thinking of their safety
first. You need to make sure staff know that it's OK to move away
from danger and not run toward it." — Jim Burger
