Understanding Sharps Use in an Australian Emergency Department: A Mixed Methods Organisational Case Study

Background: Despite the introduction of a range of safety policies and sharps equipment designed to protect healthcare workers, rates of percutaneous injuries from occupational exposure to sharps remains high. This study examined the availability and use of various types of sharps devices in a tertiary hospital emergency department, to understand clinician choice between non-safety and safety devices; and to document their safe and unsafe use of sharps.

Methods: This mixed methods study consisted of areview of stock levels, a survey of staff usage, and a content analysis of semi-structured interview data to explore factors which impact on staff preferences for different sharps devices.

Results: Staff identified a range of sharps risks, as well as barriers and enablers to the use of safety devices. Availability of, and preference for, familiar devices influenced choice of devices used in clinical practice, despite awareness of associated risks.

Conclusions: This understanding of equipment use and the factors that motivate such use have informed the first stage of the knowledge-to-action cycle. Knowledge translation, should include the development of policies to help reduce the risk of sharps injury. Culture change and ongoing skills development might help to overcome entrenched procedures and increase voluntary engagement with safer sharps.