Introduction
In the healthcare industry, the application of syringes is a primary characterization requiring caution by professionals. Particularly, needles are used in administering intravenous anesthesia to patients in dental care. According to Anand (2020), it is a primary rule that safe injection ensures avoidable risks are averted to protect the recipients. Despite such safety rules, health workers may exercise unsafe practices with risks in administering anesthesia and providing care. These risks justify the necessity to reflect on the unsafe practices while using syringes. The Dental Anesthesia class displayed how the practitioner’s actions and perspectives can lead to unwanted impacts. For instance, I made two unsafe practice errors, including incorrect harpoon engagement when setting up a syringe and inappropriate needle placement, which could be fatal to both the clinician and the patient. Therefore, in this reflection, I will expound on the research, self-reflection, and prevention measures that I would have taken to avoid these errors in the future.
Incorrect Harpoon Engagement when Setting Up Syringes and Inappropriate Needle Placement
In dental anesthesia, the unsafe practice may involve incorrect engagement of harpoons while setting up syringes. Logothetis (2021) purported that the unsafe practice is attributed to the increased risk of disengaging harpoons that undermine patient care. When a harpoon disengages, it affects the ability to aspirate, which is necessary during anesthetic administration. Appropriate medical practice prescribes that when aspiration cannot be accomplished, the practitioner must remove the needle, re-engage the harpoon and start over (Logothetis, 2021). Thus, the incorrect engagement of a needle affects patient care and makes service delivery difficult.
Inappropriate needle placement is another unsafe practice that affects the procedures of administering care to patients. The unsafe perspective in the dental anesthesia class included the challenge of a needle not screwed in properly. The risk is aligned with the risk to the patient and the practitioner from needle stick injuries. Research by Sriram (2019) stated that cases of exposure to blood fluids in the USA are a common challenge, flagged by the CDC that annually, over three million health workers are affected. The challenges involved are the potential exposure to bloodborne diseases from patients. Thus, the class effectively revealed the potential practices that increase the risk to the patient and the practitioner.
Self-Reflection
I realized that the lack of attention could be a potential flaw in practice that can influence unsafe practices. In the class, students were prone to mistakes due to a lack of attention or sensitivity to details and secure mechanisms during the procedures. In my experience, I twisted the harpoon too hard while setting up the syringe, which was required to be a 1/2 turn while engaging a harpoon. I learned that slight alterations or small mistakes are detrimental to the procedure, with the risks of redoing the entire procedure. Moreover, in the second instance, due to incorrect screwing of the needle, the needle would come off the syringe easily. In this case, the chances of unwanted needle stick injury were high, creating an awareness of the fatal consequences that unsafe practices expose the patient and the practitioner. Appreciating the need to double-check equipment was reinforced through the exercises, highlighting that the issues are preventable and avoidable.
Prevention
The unsafe practices in the dental anesthesia class were enlightening on the potential risks involved when using syringes. The practitioner can take measures during and before medical procedures to avert these risks caused by incorrect harpoon engagement when setting up syringes and incorrect needle placement on the syringe. Alsabaani et al. (2022) postulated that among the preventative measures of such risks is creating awareness and educating workers on the risks they exposed themselves and their patients to due to their actions. The approach can influence increased caution during procedures that allow healthcare workers to prioritize effective mechanisms of handling tools such as syringes and needles. An appropriate course of action requires following steps that are set in place to ensure effective practice. Logothetis (2021) prescribed that harpoon engagement requires the practitioner to have protective gear that reduces risks of injury. The approach enhances the safety of the patient and practitioners throughout the process.
On the other hand, the risks of incorrect engagement can be considered relative to the procedure’s efficiency. Furthermore, it is essential that the practitioner is gentle while engaging syringes into the rubber stoppers being careful not to exert excessive pressure. The measure reduces the risks of fracturing the cartridge, highlighted as a risk of unsafe practice. Moreover, Logothetis (2021) documented that securing syringes in a harpoon is more difficult when needles are already placed. The inference would thus require needle placement after engaging the syringe to the rubber stopper. Thus, the practitioner is responsible for weighing their actions to avert the risks of incorrect practice.
Conclusion
The research reveals that practitioners have a duty to exercise appropriate measures to reduce risks to healthcare. I realized that as a practitioner, individualized actions have consequences that may spiral into harming patients. Moreover, the damage to tools and the necessitated redoing of several procedures present a limitation of practice that are not cost-efficient in terms of equipment and time. The accruing issues arising from unsafe practices undermine the healthcare systems, worsening preventable or avoidable situations. Ultimately, the class was insightful with future implications in practice, influencing change in my perception of the field environment. The class was an essential component to reinforce ethical practice and effective care mechanisms to preserve the safety and well-being of the community that is central to any professional in the healthcare system.
References
Alsabaani, A., Alqahtani, N. S. S., Alqahtani, S. S. S., Al-Lugbi, J. H. J., Asiri, M. A. S., Salem, S. E. E., Alasmari, A. A., Mahmood, S. E., & Alalyani, M. (2022). Incidence, Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Toward Needle Stick Injury Among Health Care Workers in Abha City, Saudi Arabia. Frontiers in Public Health, 10. Web.
Anand, V., Rai, R., Bettie, N. F., & Priya, S. (2020). A study on the Aspiration Procedures in Syringes among Health Care Professionals. Indian Journal of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, 14(4). Web.
Logothetis, D. D. (2021). Local Anesthesia For The Dental Hygienist. (3rd ed.). Elvisier Health Sciences. Web.
Sriram, S. (2019). Study of needle stick injuries among healthcare providers: Evidence from a teaching hospital in India. Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care, 8(2), 599. Web.