CHESAPEAKE, Va. — A former nurse at Chesapeake Regional Medical Center is accused of reusing needleless syringes while administering IV medications, prompting Chesapeake Regional Healthcare to issue a warning to potentially affected patients.
Sarah Harrison, a registered nurse, voiced her concerns about the allegations, stating, "I cannot fathom that... That does not meet the standard of care.”
Harrison highlighted the significant health risks associated with reusing syringes, including the potential for cross-contamination and the transmission of bloodborne illnesses between patients.
The investigation revealed no known cases of patient illnesses linked to the incident, Chesapeake Regional Healthcare says. However, the hospital is contacting all at-risk patients who received care from the nurse in CRMC's Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) between July 24, 2023, and January 20, 2025.
When reaching out to at-risk patients, the health system described the situation as "improper actions" by the former employee.
Harrison remarked on the seriousness of the issue, saying, "If it’s a resource issue, that’s on the hospital's administration. If it’s on the nurse, it’s just sheer laziness. I don’t understand."
The health system says while the risk is extremely low for infection transmission, they recommend that all patients who they’ve reached out to should get tested for bloodborne pathogens.
Details for notified patients to get free testing:
Where: Testing is available at two locations on Chesapeake Regional Healthcare’s campus
- Jennings Outpatient Center, located at 844 Battlefield Blvd.
- The Lifestyle Health and Fitness Center, located at 800 Battlefield Blvd.
When: Available from now until July 31, 2025.
To make an appointment: Notified patients are asked to call 757-312-2189.
As of this writing, there haven’t been any reported cases of patients getting sick from the nurse’s actions
