When you’re in a hurry—and what nurse isn’t—mistakes happen. And if you’re talking about needles, one mistake can change your life.
Most nurses are pretty scared of getting stuck by a used needle, according to a recent nationwide survey of 700 nurses. And their fears are great enough that they influence their job decisions and how long they might stay in the profession.
Here’s what the 2008 Study of Nurses’ Views on Workplace Safety and Needlestick Injuries found:
• More than two-thirds of the nurses surveyed said that needlestick injuries and blood-borne infections are major concerns.
• More than half believe that their workplace safety negatively impacts their personal safety.
• Almost nine out of 10 said that safety concerns influence their decisions about what types of nursing they do and how long they’ll continue doing it.
• Nine out of 10 also believe their workloads impact workplace safety.
And here are the frightening statistics:
• Despite safety syringes, 64 percent of nurses report being accidentally stuck by a needle.
• In three-fourths of these cases, the needles are contaminated.
• One in five victims doesn’t report the accident.
• Less than half of needlestick victims are treated within two hours.
In case you didn’t know (one-third of nurses don’t, said the survey), Congress passed a law in 2000—the Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act. It mandates that institutions conduct an annual product review, and that nurses be involved when it comes to picking the types of syringes that the institution uses. This year, two-thirds of those surveyed said they had no opportunity to do that—up from 57 percent in 2006.
(For complete results of the survey, visit: http://nursingworld.org/FunctionalMenuCategories/MediaResources/PressReleases/2008PR/WorkplaceSafetyTopConcerns.aspx.)
So what is it like in your workplace?
Have you ever experienced a needlestick, and if so, what happened?
Do you feel there is an adequate system in place for dealing with the sticks?
Do you like the type of syringes used in your workplace?
Tell us what you think.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Needlesticks: Major Concern for Most Nurses
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1 comments:
At our facility, if you have a needlestick, you call the exposure hotline 24/7 and receive a call back within 15 minutes. Depending on the circumstances, you are tested (for a baseline), and the patient if known is also tested. Results are available and treatment started (if indicated) within 2 hours. I've had one needlestick in 40 years, did report it, and was pleased with the follow-up. The exposure hotline nurse also does a great job of answering questions, sharing statistics, and in general offering guidance to an employee with a needlestick. Nurses at our facility also do have input into testing new products and a voice into the selection of such items as IV catheters, etc.
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