* She alleges the hospital breached their duty of care and failed to provide a safe place of work
A NURSE is suing Gold Coast Health for almost $200,000 after being cut by a razor belonging to a HIV positive patient at Robina Hospital.
Tugun grandmother Vicky Ann Nicolaou says she was helping move a HIV and hepatitis C positive patient to another room in January 2016 when she cut her right thumb on the uncapped blade.
“While being in the ensuite of the room the patient was moving from, the plaintiff grabbed the toothbrush and toothpaste from an open blue dish and ... sustained a cut to her right thumb from the patient’s uncapped razor that was laying facing upwards, concealed underneath the toothbrush,” said Ms Nicolaou’s statement of claim lodged in the Southport District Court this month.
The 55-year-old had to wait more than 12 months for the results of tests, which showed she had not contracted HIV or hepatitis C.
She is seeking damages for the physical and psychological pain she said she sustained as a result of the injury.
The claim, against the Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service for $190,388.12 in damages, alleges the hospital breached their duty of care and failed to provide a safe place of work and provide Ms Nicolaou with the equipment required to safely carry out her job.
Ms Nicolaou alleges the hospital was negligent in providing a sharps disposal container in the room.
In addition to a laceration to her thumb, she claims she suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression.
Of the $190,388.12 sought, Ms Nicolaou is asking for more than $15,000 in general damages and $140,420 for future economic loss.
The endorsed enrolled nurse of 10 years told the Gold Coast Bulletin it was “daunting” waiting for the test results.
“It was the first HIV positive patient I’d looked after and it was a real worry after it happened that I would accidentally get cut at home and pass it on to the grandkids,” Ms Nicolaou said.
“I love nursing but I want people to be more diligent about exposures of sharps and that’s one of the reasons I brought the legal action.
“I think people are blase and they think it won’t happen to them. I think I thought that.
“I’m very diligent now and I make sure there are no sharps around but I still find them.”
Shine Lawyers Gold Coast branch manager Kimberly Allen, who acts for Ms Nicolaou, said the injury showed protocol was “failing nurses and doctors” at the hospital.
“This is very clearly a breach of workplace safety,” she said.
“It is vital if you see a safety issue in your workplace you report it because the life you save might be yours.
“There are laws to protect you if you do blow the whistle on unsafe practises so you can’t be sacked or have your employment terminated.”
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PORTHARCOURT: Training Schedule for Basic Life Support BLS, Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support ACLS, First Aid, CPR, AED
LAGOS: Training Schedule for Basic Life Support BLS, Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support ACLS, First Aid, CPR, AED
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