Organizational climate and its relationship with needlestick and sharps injuries among Japanese nurses
published online 09 March 2009.
Background
Although certain aspects of organizational climate have been shown to influence needlestick and sharps injuries (NSI) among nurses, this issue has not been adequately investigated in Japan.
Methods
Our study involved a modified version of the Hospital Safety Climate Scale, which was distributed to a large cross section of nurses in a Japanese teaching hospital.
Results
Various aspects of safety climate were associated with a reduced NSI risk, such as being involved in health and safety matters (odds ratio [OR], 0.13; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.02-0.65) and being properly trained in risk control procedures (OR, 0.32; 95% CI: 0.12-0.78). Nurses working in departments in which health and safety information was readily available were more likely to report any NSI they sustained (OR, 4.91; 95% CI: 1.30-18.51), whereas nurses working in departments with minimal conflict were less likely to underreport their NSI (OR, 0.45; 95% CI: 0.22-0.87).
Conclusion
Overall, this study suggests that hospital safety climate has an important influence on NSI injury rates and reporting behavior among Japanese nurses. Given the multifaceted nature of identified risk, a comprehensive approach to infection control is clearly required and one that encompasses preventive strategies in both the cultural and physical domains.
cDepartment of Environmental Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan
Address correspondence to Derek R. Smith, MPH, PhD, DrMedSc, Professor, WorkCover New South Wales Research Centre of Excellence, University of Newcastle, Ourimbah, New South Wales 2258 Australia.
ABSTRACT