article · BMC Research Notes
Staff nurses face substantial occupational hazards from sharp instruments during routine clinical duties. An assessment of 151 nurses at Dessie Referral Hospital in the Amhara region of Ethiopia examined the frequency and factors associated with these hazards. Male respondents accounted for 65 percent of the cohort, and nearly half had between four and ten years of professional experience. The findings showed that 43 percent of participating nurses had sustained a needle-stick or sharp object injury. Clinical department placement strongly influenced this risk. Nurses working in the emergency department were over eleven times more likely to report an injury than colleagues in outpatient departments. Similarly, staff in adult health departments were nearly ten times more likely to experience sharp object injuries compared to outpatient staff. These results demonstrate a need for healthcare facilities to prioritise staff safety.
Needle-stick and sharp injuries expose healthcare workers to significant occupational hazards, including blood-borne infections. Demonstrating that risk varies drastically by clinical ward enables hospital administrators to target safety protocols, protective equipment, and training where they are needed most. Addressing these vulnerabilities protects frontline staff and helps maintain resilient hospital operations in high-pressure clinical environments.
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OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of needle-stick and sharp object injuries among staff nurses in Dessie referral hospital, Amhara region, Ethiopia, 2018. RESULTS: Among the 151 study participants, 98 (65%) respondents were males. Seventy-five (48.1%) participants had 4-10 years of experience. The overall prevalence of needle stick and sharp object injury among staff nurses in Dessie referral hospital was 43%. In this study, nurses who worked in the emergency department were 11× more likely to experience needle stick and sharp object injury compared with nurses who worked in outpatient department P = 0.004 [AOR = 11.511 95% CI 2.134, 62.09)]. Participants who were worked in adult health department were 10× more likely experience needle stick and sharp object injury when compared with participants who were worked in outpatient department P = 0.006 [AOR = 9.742 95% CI 1.904, 49.859)]. The major implication of these study findings on the health system is the importance of given emphasis for nurses in relation with needle stick and sharp injury.
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DOI: 10.1186/s13104-018-3930-4
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