Sharps injuries among emergency department nurses in one tertiary care hospital in Ghana

Exposure to bloodborne pathogens is the most serious occupational health risk encountered within the healthcare profession worldwide (Leow et al., 2012; Wicker et al., 2008). In a study of US hospitals, nurses accounted for nearly half of all needlestick injuries (Chen and Jenkins, 2007). Additionally, sharps injuries often go unreported. In a survey of 259 US emergency healthcare workers (physicians, nurses, and technicians), nurses were found to report only two-thirds of sharps injuries (Tandberg et al., 1991).
Source: International Emergency Nursing - Category: Nursing Authors: Source Type: research