RTI is a company developed with the primary purpose
of reducing and eliminating NSI’s in the workplace. It is
important to create a forum, a collective voice to bring
awareness and change to these hazardous and largely
preventable injuries.
Real Stories
Needlestick injuries (NSI), unfortunately are a common event among nurses, especially if they are using poorly designed devices. A person who experiences a contaminated NSI may be exposed to bloodborne pathogens such as Hepatitis or HIV. Many needlestick victims feel compelled to share their stories with the hope of shedding light on what can be a solitary, stressful, and fearful journey.
The CDC states that, “It has been estimated about half or more of sharps injuries go unreported.” Silence is the worst form of community, issues are not addressed, and problems are not resolved. Despite needlestick legislation, effective since April 18, 2001, and the use of so-called safety devices, needlestick injuries continue to occur. Yet, silence about needlestick injuries in the nursing community is commonplace. This lack of reporting serves as one obstacle to achieving significant reductions in injuries. An injured clinician may feel safe in confiding in a coworker, but they may be reluctant to speak with their supervisor.
The causes of underreported sticks are numerous; whether it is fear of reprisal, embarrassment, presumption that the patient is not a risk, or simply wanting to avoid a lecture about their incident, some nurses choose not to report the stick. Change requires participation, accurate numbers that represent the reality of needlesticks increases awareness of this ongoing epidemic and can lead to increasing availability of truly effective safety devices.
Share Your Experience
Describe (in no more than 250 words) how the injury happened, what device you were using, and what the outcome was. Alternatively, you can submit a video that could be used on our social media accounts. Submissions that are chosen for publication will be identified with your Initials, your credential (such as RN), your city and state. All submissions become the property of RTI.