If it just happened
Emergency? Call 911- 1Wash the puncture with soap and water. Let it bleed freely; do not squeeze or scrub hard.
- 2If blood or fluid splashed into your eyes, nose or mouth, rinse with plenty of clean water.
- 3Call 911 if you have heavy bleeding, faint, or have a severe reaction.
- 4Tell your supervisor or charge nurse immediately and follow your workplace's exposure process.
- 5Get evaluated right away, at employee health, occupational health, urgent care or an emergency department, as your workplace directs.
- 6Write down the time, the type of device, what it had been used for, and whether the source patient or item is known.
General information only — not medical or legal advice.
Reporting it and the claim process
Needlesticks happen to nurses, aides, phlebotomists, housekeepers who find needles in linens or trash, and home health workers in client homes. Many workplaces have a specific exposure report in addition to an injury report. Ask for both and keep copies. Home health aides may find needles in a client's bed, trash or on a nightstand; housekeepers and custodians can be stuck through a trash bag; nurses may be stuck while recapping, passing a sharp, or when a patient moves suddenly.
Your report should note the device, whether it had a safety feature and whether it was activated, where it was found or used, and what you were doing. If the needle was in a trash bag, laundry or sharps container that was overfilled, say so. If you work for an agency in client homes, report to the agency right away and ask how exposure follow-up works when there is no employee health office on site.
A workers' compensation claim generally starts once your employer notifies its insurer, and follow-up testing may continue for some time. Deadlines to report and to file vary by state, so confirm your report is on file and check with your state's workers' compensation agency. Because follow-up testing can stretch over time, ask who will remind you of the schedule and how those visits are covered.
Keep every test result, appointment record and paper from employee health. Privacy rules apply to source-patient information, so your employer may share only certain details with you. Write down every follow-up date in one place so nothing is missed.
Getting medical care
A licensed clinician will decide what testing, follow-up and care are appropriate after a needlestick. Go promptly, because some decisions are time-sensitive. Occupational medicine, employee health, urgent care and primary care are all common places for follow-up. Tell the clinician exactly when the stick happened, what kind of device it was, whether it was visibly bloody and whether it went through gloves. Those details help them make time-sensitive decisions.
Tell the clinician this was a work exposure. Some states and employers have rules about which provider you see first, and many hospitals route needlesticks through employee health, so follow that process. If you are sent somewhere after hours, like an emergency department, tell them it is a work exposure and keep the paperwork for employee health.
For any prescription, it helps to ask the pharmacy and the adjuster up front how work-injury medications are processed. Many can be filled locally or delivered to your home.
Prescribed medication? Learn about prescription home delivery, common medications after work injuries, or find pharmacies near you. Your doctor and pharmacist decide what is right for you.
When people often talk to an attorney
- You develop an illness that may be linked to the needlestick.
- Follow-up testing or care is delayed or denied.
- You were discouraged from reporting, or blamed for the stick.
- The needle was left by another company's worker or in a client's home, which may raise third-party questions.
- Anxiety while waiting for results is affecting your sleep, relationships or work.
- Safety-engineered devices or sharps containers were not provided where you work.
Learn more: what a workers' comp attorney does. Many offer a free first consultation; fees in workers' comp are often regulated by the state.
Recovery and going back to work
Keep every follow-up appointment and testing date, even if you feel fine. Put the schedule in your phone. Ask your clinician whether there is anything you should do to protect partners or family while you wait for results, and follow their guidance.
Most people can keep working after a needlestick, but ask your clinician if any precautions apply. Share any restrictions with your employer in writing. Ask your employer about safer sharps devices or sharps containers in places where you work, especially in client homes.
Waiting for results can be stressful. Talk with your clinician or employee assistance program if worry is weighing on you; behavioral health support is available. If you have thoughts of harming yourself, call or text 988. It is normal to feel worried. Talking with someone can help.
Questions to ask
- Is there a separate exposure report I need to fill out?
- Where should I go right now for evaluation?
- Can the source patient be tested, and what can I be told?
- Doctor, what is my follow-up testing schedule?
- Do I need any precautions at home or at work while I wait?
- Who do I call if the pharmacy has a question about billing my work-injury prescription?
- Attorney, what happens if I become ill later?
- Who will track my follow-up testing dates and remind me?
Frequently asked questions
What should I do right after a needlestick injury?
Wash the area with soap and water, report it to your supervisor right away, and get evaluated quickly. Follow your workplace's exposure process. Do not wait until the end of your shift.
Why is timing important after a needlestick?
Some follow-up care is most useful when started soon after an exposure. Only a clinician can decide what you need. Getting evaluated promptly keeps options open.
Is a needlestick covered by workers' comp?
Needlestick injuries at work are generally the kind of exposure workers' comp addresses, depending on your state. Testing and follow-up care may be part of the claim. Report it and ask your employer.
I found a needle in trash or laundry. Does that count?
Yes, a needlestick from a discarded needle while doing your job is generally treated as a work exposure. Report it the same way. Note where the needle was.
Will I be told if the source patient has an infection?
Rules about sharing a patient's information vary, and privacy laws apply. Your employer may share some information with your clinician. Ask employee health what can be shared.
Can anxiety after a needlestick be part of a claim?
In some states and situations it may be. Rules vary widely. Tell your clinician how you are feeling, and ask an attorney if you have questions.
Related situations
Industries where this often happens
Prescriptions.plus is an educational portal. We are not a pharmacy, law firm, medical provider, insurer or claims administrator, and nothing here is medical or legal advice. Educational purposes only. Workers' compensation rules and deadlines vary by state — check with your state's workers' compensation agency. Medical emergency? Call 911. Hurt outside of work? Personal-injury legal help: attorneys.plus (coming soon).