Nursing Staff's Professional Experiences Related to Dealing with Sharps in Intensive Care Units

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 BSc.N, Faculty of Nursing, Mansoura University, Egypt

2 Lcturer of Critical Care and Emergency Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Mansoura University, Egypt

3 Professor of Community Health Nursing, Faculty of Nursing Mansoura University, Egypt

Abstract

Sharp injuries are incidents or accidents that occur as a result of a needle, blades such as scalpels, or other
medical instruments that penetrate the skin. They are the most common workplace injuries among healthcare
professionals. Sharp injuries can expose healthcare workers to the risk of communicable disease infection. This study
aimed to assess nursing staff's professional experiences related to dealing with sharps in intensive care units, through a
cross-sectional study design. The study was carried out on a convenience sample of 60 nursing staff at intensive care
units, at Specialized Medical Hospital, Mansoura University. Using three tools to collect the nursing staff's sociodemographic
and occupational characteristics, and assess the professional history of needle stick injuries and sharp
injuries as well as experiences related to dealing with sharps. Results illustrate that 78.3% of the nursing staff were
exposed to needle sticks/ sharps injuries. 60.0% reported handling syringe needles 10 to fewer than 15 times per day in
the previous three months. Accordingly, on-duty education and regular training programs are recommended for nursing
staff about occupational health hazards of sharp injuries, protective measures, the importance of reporting incidents,
and sharp management.

Keywords

Mansoura Nursing Journal
Volume 11, Issue 1
January 2024
Pages 241-248

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