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HEPATITIS C, NURSE-ASSOCIATED - USA (02): (COLORADO) CLARIFICATION
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A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>
[The following comments have been received subsequent to the posting
of this report.]
[1]
Date: 8 Jul 2009
From: Ernest Clement <ejc02@health.state.ny.us>
The above ProMED-mail post contains a moderator comment that the
technician involved in this event was a "surgical scrub nurse".
Despite the fact the attorney for the accused uses the term "nurse" to
describe his client, I respectfully ask that the moderator not use the
term to describe a "technician." Thank you.
--
Ernest J. Clement, RN, MSN, CIC
Infection Preventionist
Healthcare Epidemiology and Infection Control Program
New York State Department of Health
ESP-Corning Tower Room 2568
Albany, NY 12236
<ejc02@health.state.ny.us>
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[2]
Date: 8 Jul 2009
From: Dorothy Keane <doranne.keane@takecarehealth.com>
Please note that the individual charged in this case was a surgical
scrub technician, not a nurse. The Las Vegas Sun report referred only
to a surgical scrub technician; therefore, the source of "nurse" in
the title of your report remains mysterious. Nurses are highly
educated professionals.
--
Dorothy M. (Doranne) Keane,
NP - Nurse Practitioner, Lead Clinician
557 Broadway
New York, NY 10010
<doranne.keane@takecarehealth.com>
[Near the end of the Sun report it reads "...'Why did they allow her
to continue work as a surgical scrub nurse?'" Graf said." - ProMED]
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[3]
Date: 8 Jul 2009
From: Ronald Berry
The 26-year-old technician [surgical scrub nurse] is accused of
injecting herself with painkillers meant for patients then filling the
used syringes with saline solution. I have been, and remain, a devoted
ProMED reader since 1995. The accuracy and appropriateness of ProMED
information is the reason I am such a devoted follower.
The report that Parker is a nurse is in error, as she is an unlicensed
surgical technician. I would ask that you please check the facts in
this case and consider correcting the ProMED report. Thank you for
your attention to this matter.
--
Ronald A. Berry, RN, FNP
Captain, USPHS Commissioned Corps
Indian Health Service, Jicarilla Apache Service Unit
12000 Stone Lake Road
Dulce, New Mexico 87528
[ProMED was misled by the attorney's quote in the source. - ProMED]
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[4]
Date: Wed, 8 Jul 2009 13:08:39 -0600
From: Deb Burdsall <burdsdp@comcast.net>
At the risk of sounding as if I am making a large issue out of what
might be a small point in an otherwise very sad and tragic story,
would it be possible to refer to the individual whose alleged horrific
behavior has potentially exposed thousands to Hepatitis C as a
surgical technician rather than a nurse? This seems to be her more
appropriate job description. Thoughts and prayers to all the people
affected.
--
Deb Patterson Burdsall RN, MSN, C, CIC
<burdsdp@comcast.net>
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[5]
Date: Wed, 8 Jul 2009
From: "Marcia Hornberger" <mhornberger@baltimorecountymd.gov>
Re the moderator's comment: "A technician/nurse known to be infected
with hepatitis C virus should not have been employed on any task
involving the use of surgical procedures or the administration of
drugs by injection."
There is no recommendation I am aware of that states that a healthcare
worker should not be employed in tasks involving injections or surgery
if he/she has a blood borne infectious disease. Patients could
routinely expose healthcare workers; hence, the reason for
transmission based precautions. However, it would be unexpected that a
healthcare worker could expose a patient to a blood borne infection.
In this case, if it is as described, it was a deliberate breach of
standards of care.
Also clarification of the individual's professional status would be
appreciated -- a technician has training that differs from that of a
licensed Registered Nurse.
--
Marcia Hornberger, RN
Public Health Investigator II
Division of Communicable Diseases
Baltimore County Department of Health
Towson, Maryland USA
[This moderator is an Englishman resident in the UK and was not
familiar with the term "scrub technician," which may not be widely
used beyond North America. Nonetheless, the New Oxford American
Dictionary defines the noun "scrub nurse" as a nurse who assists a
surgeon by performing certain specialized duties during a surgical
operation. Furthermore, in the press report, the attorney Gregory Graf
said (no doubt in error) "If Rose (hospital) is indicating that she
knew, then the question is, why did they allow her to continue work as
a surgical scrub nurse."
It, therefore, seemed reasonable to the moderator to designate the
individual concerned as a "technician/nurse" in the sense of either
nurse or technician.
ProMED-mail appreciates our readers' attention to detail and regrets
the discomfort caused to these and any other members of the nursing
profession. - Mod.CP]
[see also:
Hepatitis C, nurse-associated - USA: (CO) 20090707.2441]
............................................................cp/msp/jw
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