Lack of training see 50 per cent rise in sharps injuries

The Royal College of Nursing has urged employers to ensure all nursing staff using sharp instruments get the training they need following a 50 per cent rise in sharps injuries.

A new report from the college shows that 15 per cent of respondents to a recent survey suffered a sharps injury in 2020, a 50 per cent rise compared to when the survey was last carried out in 2008.

Sharps injuries occur when a needle, blade or other medical instrument penetrates the skin. Reasons for the rise include fatigue induced by the pandemic, low staffing levels, lack of training and safer sharps and sharps bins not being available.

Nearly two-thirds of respondents to the survey said they had received at least one sharps injury during their careers. A quarter of mental health unit staff sustained sharps injuries in the last 12 months, as did 22 per cent of care and nursing home staff.

The survey of more than 7,500 RCN members also revealed that a quarter of respondents had no training on safe sharps use, and more than two in 10 had no education on reporting sharps injuries. Even following an injury, fewer than half attended a follow-up meeting, and 40 per cent reported not receiving any medical advice.

Rose Gallagher, RCN Professional Lead for Infection Prevention and Control, said all nursing staff who work with sharps should have training in how to use them safely.

She said: “In 2013 new regulations were brought in to reduce sharps injuries but these findings suggest there is still some way to go to protect all parts of the nursing workforce. We now need to see greater efforts for better reporting and training to not only prevent injuries but to ensure there are stronger procedures to follow-up and protect nursing staff after injuries.”