Needlestick and sharps injury among nurses at a state hospital in Turkey

Abstract

Purpose The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of needlestick and sharps injuries (NSIs) in nurses working in the state hospital and the contributing factors for these injuries. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2008 with 143 nurses who worked at the Mugla State Hospital, Mugla, Turkey. Data were obtained using questionnaires and analysed by frequency, percentages and logistic regression. Results Thirty percent (30.1%) of nurses stated they had sustained NSIs within the past year. Analysis of the most common causes of NSIs showed syringe needles (65.1%), followed by suture needles (18.6%) were the most recurrent NSIs. Most commonly NSIs were sustained whilst giving intravenous/intramuscular injections (55.8%), followed by suturing (30.2%) and recapping needles (9.3%). Sixteen percent (16.3%) of nurses had not been using gloves when they sustained the injured. A total of 39.5% of NSIs were said to have gone unreported in any official report. Finally, no single socio-demographic variables were shown to be significant as a risk factor for NSIs during logistic regression analysis. Conclusion It was found NSIs and the non-reporting of NSIs were still highly prevalent among nurses. Effective goal-oriented education, training and the use of safety-enhanced devices in clinical settings should be continued.