Experience of Healthcare Workers in Saudi Health Organizations with Bloodborne Pathogen Post-Exposure Management

Abstract

Background: Effective measures to avoid occupational injuries are necessary to establish a safety culture in any healthcare facility. For planning and development reasons, it is advised to establish a baseline evaluation of these metrics. Using an adaptation of the Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sharps injury prevention workbook, the current study assessed healthcare workers' perceptions of a safety culture and sharps injury prevention in their healthcare facilities.
Methods: 397 healthcare professionals who met the inclusion requirements using a non-probability sample approach completed and submitted electronic self-administered questionnaires as part of a cross-sectional study.
Results: Healthcare professionals from the four Saudi health sectors had a generally favorable opinion of the safety culture and the prevention of sharps injuries. Nonetheless, over one-third of them acknowledged having at least one exposure to blood or bodily fluids at work (26 percent had a needle stick injury, and 33 percent had a mucocutaneous exposure). Additionally, a third of the exposed workers indicated that their health institutions' post-exposure management was inadequate. The poor perception scores (p < 0.001) of the individuals from private institutions were rather unexpected.
Conclusion: The study's participants had positive perception about their health institutions' safety cultures and efforts to avoid injuries from sharp objects. The study's findings suggest that, to improve the culture of safety, healthcare workers' perceptions of leadership support should be represented and addressed through regular evaluation.