Workbook for Designing, Implementing, and Evaluating a Sharps Injury Prevention Program

Contents:

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INFORMATION ABOUT THE WORKBOOK

• Introduction
• Overview of the Program Plan
• Information Provided
• How to Use the Workbook
• Target Audience
• Value of the Workbook to Healthcare Organizations

OVERVIEW: RISKS AND PREVENTION OF SHARPS INJURIES IN HEALTHCARE PERSONNEL

• Introduction
• Bloodborne Virus Transmission to Healthcare Personnel
• Cost of Needlestick Injuries
• Epidemiology of Needlesticks and Other Sharps-related Injuries
• Injury Prevention Strategies
• The Need for Guidance

ORGANIZATIONAL STEPS

• Step 1.  Develop Organizational Capacity
• Step 2.  Assess Program Operation Processes
  • Assessing the Culture of Safety
  • Assessing Procedures for Sharps Injury Reporting
  • Assessing Methods for the Analysis and Use of Sharps Injury Data
  • Assessing the Process for Identifying, Selecting, and Implementing Engineered Sharps Injury Prevention Devices
  • Assessing Programs for the Education and Training of Healthcare Personnel on Sharps Injury Prevention
• Step 3.  Prepare a Baseline Profile of Sharps Injuries and Prevention Activities
• Step 4.  Determine Intervention Priorities
  • Sharps Injury Prevention Priorities
  • Program Process Improvement Priorities
• Step 5. Develop and Implement Action Plans
• Step 6. Monitor Program Performance

OPERATIONAL PROCESSES

• Institutionalize a Culture of Safety in the Work Environment
  • Introduction
  • Strategies for Creating a Culture of Safety
  • Measuring Improvements in the Safety Culture

Implement Procedures for Reporting and Examining Sharps Injuries and Injury Hazards

• Introduction
• Develop an Injury Reporting Protocol and Documentation Method
• Develop a Procedure for Hazard Reporting
• Develop a Process for Examining Factors That Led to Injury or "Near Misses"

Analyze Sharps Injury Data

• Introduction
• Compiling Sharps Injury Data
• Analyzing Sharps Injury Data
• Calculating Injury Incidence Rates
• Using Control Charts for Measuring Performance Improvement
• Calculating Institutional Injury Rates
• Benchmarking

Selection of Sharps Injury Prevention Devices

• Introduction
• Step 1. Organize a Product Selection and Evaluation Team
• Step 2. Set Priorities for Product Consideration
• Step 3. Gather Information on Use of the Conventional Device
• Step 4. Establish Criteria for Product Selection and Identify Other Issues for Consideration
• Step 5. Obtain Information on Available Products
• Step 6. Obtain Samples of Devices Under Consideration
• Step 7. Develop a Product Evaluation Survey Form
• Step 8. Develop a Product Evaluation Plan
• Step 9. Tabulate and Analyze the Evaluation Results
• Step 10. Select and Implement the Preferred Product
• Step 11. Perform Post-implementation Monitoring

Education and Training of Healthcare Personnel

• Introduction
• Healthcare Personnel as Adult Learners
• Opportunities for Educating and Training Healthcare Personnel
• Content for an Orientation or Annual Training on Sharps Injury Prevention
• Teaching Tools

REFERENCES

APPENDIX A – TOOLKIT

• A-1 Baseline Program Assessment Worksheet
• A-2 Survey to Measure Healthcare Personnel’s Perceptions of a Culture of Safety
• A-3 Survey of Healthcare Personnel on Occupational Exposure to Blood and Body Fluids
• A-4 Baseline Institutional Injury Profile Worksheet
• A-5 Baseline Injury Prevention Activities Worksheet
• A-6 Sharps Injury Prevention Program Action Plan Forms
• A-7 Blood and Body Fluid Exposure Report Form
• A-8 Sharps Injury Hazard Observation and Reporting Forms
• A-9 Sample Form for Performing a Simple Root Cause Analysis of a Sharps Injury or “Near Miss” Event
• A-10 Occupation-Specific Rate-Adjustment Calculation Worksheet
• A-11 Survey of Device Use
• A-12 Device Pre-Selection Worksheet
• A-13 Device Evaluation Form

APPENDIX B – Devices with Engineered Sharps Injury Prevention Features

APPENDIX C – Safe Work Practices for Preventing Sharps Injuries

APPENDIX D – Problem-Specific Strategies for Sharps Injury Prevention

APPENDIX E – Measuring the Cost of Sharps Injury Prevention

• E-1 Sample Worksheet for Estimating the Annual and Average Cost of Needlesticks and Other Sharps-Related Injuries
• E-2 Sample Worksheet for Estimating Device-Specific Percutaneous Injury Costs
• E-3 Sample Worksheet for Estimating a Net Implementation Cost for an Engineered Sharps Injury Prevention (ESIP) Device

APPENDIX F – Glossary

APPENDIX G – Other websites