To think this was unhygienic!?

[Finelinebetweenchaos]

Just took DD for her routine immunisations. I find it rather traumatic due to previous stressful vaccination-related issues including a needle stick injury (nurse stabbed herself and then continued to inject my DD with the same syringe!).

Anyway, at a new Drs, much better - the nurse seemed very professional etc but when she did the jabs today she did the injection and then pressed the wound with her bare finger while reaching for another syringe (DD had to have 4!!).

I feel that she should have used sterile gauze or at least been wearing gloves if she was actually going to touch the injection site! I assume she washed her hands before we came into the room but she was touching the computer and the tray with the syringes on it before she did the injection.

It's really bothering me. I didn't say anything at the time cos it was all so quick and DD was screaming. I usually also ask medical professionals to wash their hands but again i was nervous and didn't think she would actually touch the wound.

AIBU? Has my past history made me oversensitive? Or is this a basic medical hygiene failure and if so should I say something?

Thanks MN!

[Stormwhale]

Yanbu. I think you should have a word with them.

[timeforabrewnow]

You're right - that is gross and she should have been wearing gloves and/or pressed the site with sterile cotton wool or alcowipe.

[pipsqueak25]

i'd complain, this is not on, at all !

[Soubriquet]

Don't most people who come into contact with blood have to wear gloves in case of blood transferable illnesses like HIV?

Completely unprofessional

[Rumtopf]

I'd report to the practice manager, that sounds very unhygienic!

[Shallishanti]

no, that's not good

[x2boys]

there supposed to Soubriquet but you would be amazed how many dont [ former nurse here ] i would usually have pressed it with gauze or cotton wool.

[BeautyGoesToBenidorm]

Christ. I'm a body piercer and if I witnessed this sort of thing at work, I'd kick off massively. Sadly (and shockingly), I regularly see this kind of poor practice in medical settings, and I complain each and every time.

Definitely raise it as an issue.

[whoppet]

Daughter of nhs family here and yadnbu.

[ShowMePotatoSalad]

YANBU

[WellErrr]

Definitely unhygienic!

You don't have much luck!

[MissVictoria]

Why didn't you ask her before she started to use some hand gel/wash her hands or to put some gloves on? I have germ phobia so i always ask this of my doctor despite my social anxiety, it's better to face that bit of anxiety to ask, than the flood of it afterwards worrying.
If it's something you're bothered about, it's your responsibility to ask.

[Floggingmolly]

I'd have gone nuclear if I saw a nurse stab herself with a needle and then proceed to inject my child with it . I can actually feel a twinge of anxiety reading that, and it didn't even happen to me
Raise unholy hell with them.

[Sophia1984]

No, it's not OP's responsibility to ask medical staff to follow hygiene protocol!

[Jackiebrambles]

I'm sure our nurse wears gloves when she does immunisations! I'd definitely complain.

[Spam88]

That is really odd and surely bad practice, for her own protection as much as anything else. By all means complain OP but do try not to worry - her hands will have been washed and I see no reason why they'd have been any dirtier than the cotton wool that is normally used to press on the injection site, so there's negligible risk to your daughter. That needle stick incident though Although at my first smear the nurse demonstrated to me how the brush works on her hand and then put the brush back ready to use on me until I pointed out she needed a clean one.

[ImportSave]

Some nurses may choose not to wear gloves when giving injections because they can feel better.

If the wound was bleeding, she should have used sterile gauze.

[BakeOffBiscuits]

I Can honestly say that at my surgery, the nurses never wear gloves when giving injections or taking blood. They do wash their hands though.

I have always thought they are rather daft to do that as they may catch something!

[amazingamy09]

Not wearing gloves is ok, as you can have less control with them on, but you certainly shouldn't be touching injection sites, cotton wool/gauze should have been used

[amazingamy09]

The needle stick injury one though is appalling

[Italiangreyhound]

Totally agree although i would be even more worried about the nurse who stuck the needle in herself and then in your child. Did you complain about that?

Was it the same surgery?

Sorry you had this bad experience twice.

[Sallystyle]

Some don't wear gloves.

You don't touch the injection site with bare hands.

[ginauk84]

Crikey, they have always put a cotton pad on or gauze etc wherever I have been. Never had them use a finger! It is unhygienic.

[Cary2012]

YANBU

The injection site should be kept as sterile as possible.

Write to the Practice Manager.

DD's a nurse and I just told her, and she was appalled.

[Allalonenow]

Report it to the practice manager, they should have a protocol in place for situations where multiple injections are given, ask to see a copy of it.