how to dispose of your patient’s ID bracelet.

So. Its a busy shift and you are about to discharge one of your patients home. You cut off their ID bracelet just before they leave. Now what? Do you usually throw it in the general waste bin? There is a potential here for a breach in patient confidentiality if you do. So where should you dispose of it? I asked some of my friends what they would do and here are some of the responses. Heather: I’m naughty and throw it in the nearest Sharps bin Nardine: I chop it up with scissors then chuck in general waste!! Tom: As funny as it sounds, clinical waste.. I reckon people are less likely to rummage through it for a name band. Lesley: Leave it on the pt coz I’m a bad nurse and don’t carry scissors! Melissa: Patients like to keep it as a memento… And when they represent 3 days later, the bracelet is still on.. They take pleasure in showing you they were here 3 days prior.. Michelle: Clinical waste bin or sharps bin. Then I know the details will be destroyed. Tina: Sharps container or shredder box at nurse’s station. Juanita: yeah I leave them with it….some people like the “Hollywood factor” of going home with it. Most hospital ID bracelets contain the patients name, date of birth, & their address. Some bracelets have the information displayed in a bar-code format, but even this information remains easily retrievable. If the bracelets are disposed in the general waste stream, there is a potential for them to end up in places where they might be retrieved and the...
Source: impactEDnurse - Category: Nurses Authors: Tags: tips and tricks Source Type: blogs
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