If the nurse touches the spike of an IV tubing set with their hand, what should be the next step?

When a nurse touches the spike of an IV tubing set with their hand, it poses a risk of contamination that can introduce pathogens into the IV fluid or access site, potentially leading to serious infections. Therefore, the most appropriate action is to obtain a new IV tubing set and a new bag of IV fluids.

Using the same bag of fluids after touching the spike could risk the patient's safety by allowing contaminants to enter the patient's bloodstream through the IV line. Similarly, while wiping the spike with an alcohol swab might seem like a quick fix, it does not guarantee the removal of all potential contaminants. Additionally, simply replacing the IV tubing without changing the fluid bag could still introduce the risk of infection since the source of the IV fluids may also remain compromised. Thus, the safe and best practice is to discard both the contaminated tubing and the fluid bag, ensuring the highest standards of infection control are maintained.