HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Submit a response Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Aiken, L H Articles by Klocinski, J L Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Aiken, L H Articles by Klocinski, J L

Hospital nurses' occupational exposure to blood: prospective, retrospective, and institutional reports.

L H Aiken, D M Sloane and J L Klocinski

Center for Health Services and Policy Research, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19104-6096, USA.

OBJECTIVES: This study examined nurses risk of exposure to blood resulting from injuries with needles and sharps, the methods of estimating those risks, and the factors affecting risks. METHODS: Nurses on 40 medical units in 20 hospitals in cities with a high incidence of AIDS were studied. Percutaneous injuries were documented for every shift during a 30-day period. These prospective reports were compared with retrospective and institutional reports. Factors affecting the likelihood of injuries were explored. RESULTS: Based on the prospective reports, the rate of injuries to staff nurses was 0.8 per nurse-year. Prospective and retrospective rates were similar, while institutional rates were significantly lower. Factors associated with increased injuries included recapping needles and temporary work assignments. Working in hospitals characterized by professional nurse practice models and taking precautions to avoid blood contact were associated with fewer injuries. CONCLUSIONS: Injuries from needlesticks are more common than institutional reports suggest and do not occur at random. Diminishing the frequency with which nurses recap needles, increasing precautions they take, reducing use of temporary nursing personnel, and implementing organizational changes may lower the odds of nurses being injured.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S. Wicker, J. Cinatl, A. Berger, H. W. Doerr, R. Gottschalk, and H. F. Rabenau Determination of Risk of Infection with Blood-borne Pathogens Following a Needlestick Injury in Hospital Workers Ann. Hyg., October 1, 2008; 52(7): 615 - 622. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. J. Cummings and K. Kreiss Contingent Workers and Contingent Health: Risks of a Modern Economy JAMA, January 30, 2008; 299(4): 448 - 450. [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Bourbonniere, Z. Feng, O. Intrator, J. Angelelli, V. Mor, and J. S. Zinn The Use of Contract Licensed Nursing Staff in U.S. Nursing Homes Med Care Res Rev, February 1, 2006; 63(1): 88 - 109. [Abstract] [PDF]

				M. Virtanen, M. Kivimaki, M. Joensuu, P. Virtanen, M. Elovainio, and J. Vahtera Temporary employment and health: a review Int. J. Epidemiol., June 1, 2005; 34(3): 610 - 622. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. Virtanen, J. Vahtera, M. Kivimaki, V. Liukkonen, M. Virtanen, and J. Ferrie Labor Market Trajectories and Health: A Four-Year Follow-up Study of Initially Fixed-Term Employees Am. J. Epidemiol., May 1, 2005; 161(9): 840 - 846. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. A. Blegen, T. Vaughn, G. Pepper, C. Vojir, K. Stratton, M. Boyd, and G. Armstrong Patient and Staff Safety: Voluntary Reporting American Journal of Medical Quality, March 1, 2004; 19(2): 67 - 74. [Abstract] [PDF]

				S. P. Clarke, D. M. Sloane, and L. H. Aiken Effects of Hospital Staffing and Organizational Climate on Needlestick Injuries to Nurses Am J Public Health, July 1, 2002; 92(7): 1115 - 1119. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. West Management matters: the link between hospital organisation and quality of patient care Qual. Saf. Health Care, March 1, 2001; 10(1): 40 - 48. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				J. Sochalski Quality of Care, Nurse Staffing, and Patient Outcomes Policy Politics Nursing Practice, February 1, 2001; 2(1): 9 - 18. [Abstract] [PDF]

				G. Bednash The Decreasing Supply of Registered Nurses: Inevitable Future or Call to Action? JAMA, June 14, 2000; 283(22): 2985 - 2987. [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Doig Education of medical students and house staff to prevent hazardous occupational exposure Can. Med. Assoc. J., February 1, 2000; 162(3): 344 - 345. [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. J. LeBlanc and L. A. Wardlaw Health-Related Worry among Informal Aids Caregivers Health (London) , October 1, 1999; 3(4): 421 - 449. [Abstract] [PDF]

				L. H. AIKEN and D. M. SLOANE Effects of Organizational Innovations in AIDS Care on Burnout among Urban Hospital Nurses Work and Occupations, November 1, 1997; 24(4): 453 - 477. [Abstract]