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Cochise County clinic reports needle‑stick incident; staff followed protocol and will add training
Summary
A clinic nurse sustained a sharps injury on April 28 during vaccine administration. The employee followed exposure protocol, workers' compensation was filed and county officials said clinical education and procedural reviews will be added to staff meetings.
Cochise County health staff reported a needle‑stick injury that occurred April 28 during vaccine administration at a county clinic. Clinical lead Rosa Pando and Health Director Barb Lane briefed the Board of Health on the incident and subsequent steps.
Pando said the safety mechanism on the syringe obstructed administration, the patient moved and the needle nicked the nurse’s left index finger; the nurse observed bleeding and followed the clinic's exposure protocol. "She followed protocol," Pando said, noting a report of injury was completed and a lab appointment was arranged so the nurse could be tested for infectious disease following the exposure.
Barb Lane emphasized that the exposure involved needle to nurse only and "this never touched the patient," and that staff and leadership are treating the event as a quality‑management opportunity. County staff submitted workers' compensation paperwork and arranged clinical follow‑up.
Public Health and Jail Medical Director Eric McLaughlin described the event as frightening for staff and said the incident underscored the value of practice reviews. "Flinching isn't just for 4 year olds," McLaughlin said, adding that staff worry about potential exposures and their families. Officials said the county will add specific training on sharps‑injury prevention and post‑exposure workflow to clinical staff meetings, involve the medical director in education sessions and clarify communication steps following any future exposure.
No transmission to staff or patients was reported at the meeting. The board treated the matter as a routine quality‑assurance report and directed staff to continue education and to circulate a summary of corrective actions.
