The Awareness and Empowerment Aspects of the Needlesticks and Other Sharps Injuries and Reporting in Nursing Education: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Background Occurrence and underreporting of needlesticks and other sharps injuries (NSIs) are still immediate concerns among nursing students. This study examined the relationship between occupational health and safety (OHS) awareness and empowerment levels of nursing students and the occurrence and reporting of NSIs. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted among purposively selected 840 students in a nursing school in 2018–2019. A self-report questionnaire was used to collect data about students’ sociodemographic characteristics, OHS awareness and empowerment levels, and NSIs characteristics. After bivariate analyses, multivariate logistic regression was used. Results The number of evaluated questionnaires was 469, for a response rate of 55.8%. Participants, 21.2% ( n = 99), had suffered NSIs, and 47.8% had reported their injuries. The NSIs were statistically related to age, academic year, working night shift, OHS awareness level of students, and the number of clinical placements completed by students. The odds of experiencing NSIs was 2.3 (95% confidence interval [CI] = [1.0, 5.3]) times higher in male students, 4.3 (95% CI = [2.4, 7.4]) times higher in those beyond the second academic year, and 2.5 (95% CI = [1.4, 4.4]) times higher in those who had received OHS training for a shorter period than the average duration. Conclusion/Application to practice The levels of awareness and empowerment were higher in students who received OHS and NSIs prevention training and those who received OHS training for the above-average duration. Increasing awareness and empowerment levels of nursing students through training can reduce the occurrence and the underreporting of NSIs.

800. Needle Stick And Sharps Injuries Among Health Care Workers – The Experience of a Tertiary Hospital in Jamaica

Background Despite advances in occupational safety protocols in healthcare facilities, needle stick and sharps injuries (NSSIs) continue to be a concerning occurrence among healthcare workers (HCWs). Such exposures lead to the risk of blood borne infections as well as emotional and financial consequences which may be difficult to measure. Few studies on NSSIs among Jamaican HCWs have been published in the last decade. We evaluated adherence to established NSSIs management protocols and investigated the demographic and work-related characteristics of HCWs sustaining NSSIs. The proportion of HCWs affected and frequency and direct costs associated with these injuries were estimated. Methods This retrospective case-series reviewed HCWs employed or contracted to an urban tertiary teaching hospital in Jamaica, who reported NSSIs in the emergency room during the period January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2018. Archived incident reporting forms for these HCWs were reviewed. Data were analyzed using STATA 14 statistical software. Results 57 cases of NSSIs were reported at an average rate of 1 per month and an annual incidence of 0.14 per 100 beds and 4.75 per 100 workers. 49 (86%) HCWs were female and 18 (14%) were male. 55% of HCWs were between the ages of 24-29 years old. Nurses (53%) and physicians (19%) made up most of the sample. 28 (58%) HCWs reported not wearing gloves during the incident. Improperly handling used sharps and re-capping needles were reported by 26 (46.5%) and 17 (30%) of HCWs respectively. HIV and viral Hepatitis screening of source patients were performed 85% and 55% of the time respectively. Only 25% of HCWs were prescribed HIV post exposure prophylaxis. Post-injury counselling occurred with 52 (91%) HCWs and follow up care arranged for 36% of cases. The mean direct cost associated with the initial management of the HCW was US &163.22 per NSSI. Conclusion The frequency of reported NSSIs by HCWs is low but the burden of direct costs is high. There is inadequate adherence to NSSIs management protocols and accurate monitoring systems are lacking. We recommend the need for safer needle disposal methods and devices, routine auditing of sharps practices and training in occupational hazard prevention and management. This may improve occupational risk perception among HCWs and workplace safety. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

Sharps injuries and splash exposures among healthcare workers in Arab countries: protocol of a systematic review and meta-analysis

IntroductionSharps injuries, including needlestick injuries and splash exposures, constitute serious occupational health problems for healthcare workers, carrying the risk of bloodborne infections. However, data on such occupational incidents and their risk factors in healthcare settings are scarce and not systematically summarised in the Arab countries.The aim of this study is to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to review published literature about sharps injuries and splash exposures of healthcare workers in Arab countries, with the objectives to determine the incidence and/or prevalence of these events, their identified risk factors and the applied preventive and postexposure prophylactic measures.Methods and analysisThe protocol is developed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Protocol guidelines. A comprehensive presearch developed in January to March 2021 in the database PubMed will be followed by a systematic search of six, core medical and health science databases: PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, CINAHL, Web of Science and Africa-Wide Information in May 2021. The search will be performed without any filters or restrictions for publication years. Covidence systematic review tool will be used for document management, blinded screening and study selection. Two reviewers will independently screen the records, extract data and conduct risk of bias assessment. Results will be synthesised narratively in summary tables, and, if findings allow, meta-analysis will be conducted on the incidence and/or prevalence of sharps injuries and splash exposures, and on the effect size of risk factors.Ethics and disseminationThe systematic review methodology does not require ethics approval due to the nature of the study design based only on published studies. The results of the systematic review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal, disseminated to stakeholders and made publicly available.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42021242416.

Prevalence and associated factors of needle stick and sharps injuries among healthcare workers in northwestern Ethiopia

Background Needle stick and sharp injuries (NSSIs) are a common problem among healthcare workers (HCWs). Although the factors related to NSSIs for HCWs are well documented by several studies in Ethiopia, no evidence has been reported about the magnitude of and factors related to NSSIs in hospitals in northwestern Ethiopia. Methods An institution-based cross-sectional study was carried out from January to March 2019 among 318 HCWs in three randomly-selected hospitals of the eight hospitals found in South Gondar Zone. Sample sizes were proportionally allocated to professional categories. Study participants were selected by systematic random sampling methods using the monthly salary payroll for each profession as the sampling frame. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire. The outcome of this study was the presence (injured) or absence of NSSIs during the 12 months prior to data collection. A binary logistic regression model with 95% confidence interval (CI) was used for data analysis. Variables from the bi-variable analysis with a p-value ≤ 0.25 were retained into the multivariable analysis. From the multivariable analysis, variables with a p-value less than 0.05 was declared as factors significantly associated with NSSIs. Main findings The prevalence of NSSIs was 29.5% (95% CI: 24.2–35.5%) during the 12 months prior to the survey. Of these, 46.0% reported that their injuries were moderate, superficial (33.3%) or severe (20.7%). About 41.4% of the injuries were caused by a suture needle. Factors significantly associated with NSSIs were occupation as a nurse (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.65, 95% CI: 1.18–4.26), disposal of sharp materials in places other than in safety boxes (AOR = 3.93, 95% CI: 2.10–5.35), recapping of needles (AOR = 2.27, 95% CI: 1.13–4.56), and feeling sleepy at work (AOR = 2.24, 95% CI: 1.14–4.41). Conclusion This study showed that almost one-third of HCWs had sustained NSSIs, a proportion that is high. Factors significantly associated with NSSIs were occupation as a nurse, habit of needle recapping, disposal of sharp materials in places other than in safety boxes and feeling sleepy at work. Observing proper and regular universal precautions for nurses during daily clinical activities and providing safety boxes for the disposal of sharp materials, practicing mechanical needle recapping and preventing sleepiness by reducing work overload among HCWs may reduce the incidence of NSSIs.

Investigating the incidence and type of sharps injuries within the nursing student population in the UK

Aims: To identify the incidence and type of sharps injuries within a UK nursing student population. Background: Evidence suggests that nursing students sustain sharps injuries across the world, but there is a lack of data from the UK. Design: Questionnaire survey. Methods: A survey was administered to a volunteer sample of nursing students (n=1015) in a university, following which the survey was distributed to nursing students nationwide using snowball sampling via social media. Datasets from 1015 nursing students were available for analysis. Results: Sharps injuries were most likely to occur with glass ampoules, when preparing injections and to occur in the second year of the programme. Contributing factors to sharps injury were identified, with inexperience being the primary cause. Some nursing students reported psychological impacts after sustaining the sharps injury. Conclusion: Sharps injuries are common among nursing students, and can have many psychological consequences for an individual.

The experience and psychological impact of a sharps injury on a nursing student population in the UK

Aims: The aims of this study were to explore the experience and psychological impact of sustaining a sharps injury within a nursing student population in the UK. Design: A qualitative approach was taken, using two methods to gather data, namely a Twitter chat and interviews. Methods: A Twitter chat was orchestrated to investigate the experiences of sharps injury with nursing students and registered nurses nationwide (n=71). Interviews were conducted with nursing students from a university in the UK who had sustained a sharps injury (n=12) to discover their experiences and the impact of the injury. Findings were then synthesised and examined. Results: Some nursing students reported psychological impacts after sustaining the sharps injury, which affected both their professional and personal life. The qualitative findings were synthesised into eight themes. Conclusion: Sharps injuries can have many psychological impacts on the individual nursing student and necessary support should be available.