Determination of needle-sharp injuries and relation with sleepness situation on nurses working at Malatya province hospital

SUMMARY Objective: To determine needle-sharps injuries and relation with sleepness situation on nurses working at Malatya province hospital. Material and Methods : This investigation is cross-sectional. This study is comprised of nurses who are currently working at Malatya SSK hospital, Malatya State hospital,Turgut Ozal Medical Center and Military hospital. We were planned including to approximately 1100 nurses who working at Malatya province hospital without choseen randomly but totally 860 nurses were studied on this resarch. Results: It was found out that % 62.7 of nurses who are including this study have experienced at least one needle-sharps injury for last three months. It was determined that there was statistically different between cause of injury and age, marital status, working shift and unit. Also it was determined that protective precautions have not been used regularly among nurses. 422 nurses (%49.1) used orderly gloves when they were working. Total of Epworth sleepness scale scores for the nurses working at day shift were found statistically higher than the nurses working at night shift. Frequency of causing needle-sharps injuries and Epworth sleepness scale score were increasing in positive correlation. Conclusion: Needle-sharp injuries ratio for nurses who have been working at Malatya State hospitals were found high as occupationally risk. Protective precaution usage is so low and Hepatit-B immunization is not at desirable level. It can be tought that sleepness situation is a risk factor for the occurence of needle-sharps injuries. To prevent the needle-sharps injuries, in-service training should be performed and ergonomical tools should be used. Researches about causality factors of needle-sharps injuries should be realized. There is a need for institutions in which health officers following up their state of health, reporting and being directed in case of occurence of any occupational injury and risk. Keywords: Needle-sharp injuries, Nurses, Sleepness, Malatya 43