AOHP highlights best practices' in sharps safety
Findings reflect efforts of hospitals with lower rates
The Association of Occupational Health Professionals in Healthcare (AOHP) survey on needlesticks included the following key tips and strategies to reduce sharps injuries.1
Education: New Hires
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One-to-one interactive with every clinical new hire, discussing exposure vulnerability and strategies to work safely
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Emphasize sharp safety during orientation
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Require new clinicians to practice with and demonstrate competency on all devices—including students and float staff
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"Safety Responsibility" pledge signed by each new hire—to which they are held accountable
Education: Ongoing
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Building a bloodborne pathogen exposure event into the simulation lab-training scenario
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Mandatory review of sharp safety every two years
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Use of a mandatory on-line program for education
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Use vendor support and clinical educators to "stretch" resources; include weekend and off-shifts
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Mandatory post-injury education—some in the form of on-line module, some face-to-face with the Employee Health nurse or the Workers Compensation Nurse Case Manager
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Monthly e-mailed "Sharps Safety Tips"
Management Involvement
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Hold managers accountable for the safety of their units and publicly praising managers of occupationally safe units
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Ensure that exposure data are "on the record" in committee reports that go up chain of command
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Be transparent with injury trends—good or bad
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Managers and the injured employee must be actively involved in the follow up investigation and root cause analysis
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Make reporting easy and available through an on-line or call-in system
Employee Health Attitude
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Commitment to "drill down" on every exposure
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Close attention to trends—with timely follow up, not waiting
Reference
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Grimmond T and Good L. EXPO-S.T.O.P.: A national survey and estimate of sharps injuries and mucocutaneous blood exposures among healthcare workers in USA. Journal of AOHP in Healthcare 2013; 33:31-36.
