University Report: Evidence-Based Practice for Needle Stick Injury

This report delves into the application of evidence-based practice (EBP) to address and mitigate the risk of needle stick injuries (NSI) within healthcare settings. It begins by defining EBP as the integration of research evidence, clinical expertise, and patient values to enhance patient outcomes. The report highlights the prevalence of NSI, emphasizing the need for preventive measures. It then outlines the six key steps of the EBP process: formulating a research question (using the PICOT framework), searching for the best available evidence, critically appraising the research, integrating evidence with clinical expertise and patient preferences, evaluating the outcomes of interventions, and disseminating the findings. The report discusses the importance of awareness, standardized protocols, and the use of safety-engineered devices in preventing NSI. It references several studies and provides a comprehensive overview of the EBP process for improving safety in healthcare environments. The conclusion underscores the value of EBP in promoting safer practices and reducing the incidence of NSI.

Running head: EVIDENCE BASED PRACTICE: NEEDLE STICK INJURY
EVIDENCE BASED PRACTICE: NEEDLE STICK INJURY
Name of Student:
Name of University:
Author’s Note:

1EVIDENCE BASED PRACTICE: NEEDLE STICK INJURY
Table of Contents
Introduction..........................................................................................................................2
Rationale for EBP for NSI issue in health care sector.........................................................2
Process of EBP to prevent NSI............................................................................................3
Step 1- Formulating Answerable research Question:.....................................................3
Step 2: Searching For Best Evidence..............................................................................4
Step 3: Critically Appraising the Research Evidence.....................................................4
Step 4: Integrating the Evidence with Clinical Expertise and Patient Preference and
Values..........................................................................................................................................5
Step 5: Evaluating the Outcome:.....................................................................................5
Step 6: Disseminating the Outcome of EBP Process.......................................................5
Conclusion...........................................................................................................................5
Reference.............................................................................................................................6

2EVIDENCE BASED PRACTICE: NEEDLE STICK INJURY
Introduction
Evidence based practice is defined as the integration of the evident research done with
the collaboration of clinical expertise and value of patients. The practice is known to be applied
by the health care professionals with the objective to improve the health of the patients
(LoBiondo-Wood & Haber, 2017). The practice is proved to be clinically relevant that is
conducted with the help of sound methodology. The evidence based practice can be applied for
any clinical issue for example needle stick injury.
Needle stick injury are the type of penetrating stab wound that is caused by the needle or
any sharp object and result in exposure or oozing of blood or other fluids of body. The main
domain of concern related to needle stick injury is exposure of infected blood or fluid to another
person who might be carrying infectious disease (Lazarus, 2017).
Therefore, the paper aims to evaluate the use of evidence based practice in reducing the
risk of NSI in health worker. For this the paper discuss about the steps of EBP to find the
preventive measure and healthy practice that can be applied in health care setting.
Rationale for EBP for NSI issue in health care sector
Needle stick injury has become a common occurrence in the health care profession which
has led to serious health consequence to the nurse and lab workers. There has been more than
67% incidence reported of needle stick injury in Australia where the health care staffs accidently
stick themselves with the needle (Marjadi et al., 2017). They are found to be seriously affected
by the NSI related incidence and it is found to be because of lack of awareness, workload and
absence of standard protocol for practice (Suliman et al., 2018). In order to promote the safety of
patient and reduce the incidence of needle stick there is the need for the creating awareness and

3EVIDENCE BASED PRACTICE: NEEDLE STICK INJURY
protocol for healthy practice. Therefore evidence based practice allows is used to implement best
strategy for administration of medicine focusing on barrier and hurdle in the practice.
Process of EBP to prevent NSI
Research evidence concerning to involvement of nurse in needle stick injury suggests
various barrier in clinical practice of nurse. Evidence based practice has the potential to improve
the practice area and search best intervention to lower the incidence of NSI (Brownson et al.,
2017). The six steps of EBP helps to discover strong evidence for standard practice in health care
sector.
Step 1- Formulating Answerable research Question:
The first step of EBP is related to frame a question that is trigged by limitation or
confusion during nursing practice during the care of the patient. In the domain of diagnosis,
prevention, therapy and prognosis, the relevant information is required to create clinical
questions (Doody & Bailey, 2016). The issue of needle stick injury is aiming to research the
preventive steps for healthy nursing practice. Therefore, the questions that can aid to find the
evidence to lower the NSI involves:
“What are the ways by which needle stick injury can be prevented in health worker?
PICOT format can be engaged to construct the answerable research questions as it focus
on population, intervention, comparison, outcome and time frame (Meyer, 2017). PICOT
framework for needle stick injury:
Population Nurse
Intervention Preventive measures for NSI
Comparison Standard protocol for practice
Outcome Lowering of NSI
Time frame 6 months

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Step 2: Searching For Best Evidence
Searching for best evidence involves search of evidence based articles by use of specific
search terms in prominent health care database like PubMed, CINAHL and Medline. The best
articles can be searched using MeSH, inclusion criteria and Boolean operators focusing on
research question. The search is made limited to recent studies within 5 years, English language
and full text (Fineout-Overholt, 2016).
The key search terms used for NSI involves “needle stick injury”, “prevention measure”
“patient safety AND health worker”. The eight articles that found to be best evidence for healthy
practice to reduce NSI are: Hasak et al. (2018), Kasatpibal et al. (2016), Fukuda and Yamanaka
(2016), Matsumoto et al. (2019), Tarigan et al. (2015), Mannocci et al. (2016), Jahangiri et al.
(2016), Kasatpibal et al. (2016).
Step 3: Critically Appraising the Research Evidence
This steps is important to ensure the validity, reliability and authenticity of the research
paper related to research question (Gray, Grove & Sutherland, 2016). It helps the nurse to ensure
whether the preventive measure is clinically applicable or not. The research paper is appraised
concerning aim, methodology, result and limitation of studies which involves assessment related
to benefits and cost effectives of the interventions for clinical practice concerning research
questions. Therefore, for critically appraising of NSI based research paper, various tool can be
used for example clinical appraisal skills programme (CASP) or Appraisal of Guidelines for
Research and Evaluation (Buccheri & Sharifi, 2017).

5EVIDENCE BASED PRACTICE: NEEDLE STICK INJURY
Step 4: Integrating the Evidence with Clinical Expertise and Patient Preference and
Values
The best intervention identified for reducing NSI, is then integrated to compare it with
clinical expertise, skills of nurses and its impact on both care provider and patient value. It is
needed to recognize the applicability of preventive measure for NSI in health care setting or any
organizational hurdle it implementation of EBP (Ioannidis, 2016).
Step 5: Evaluating the Outcome:
Nurse are required to analyses the outcome of preventive measure for its effectiveness
and success. Nurse adapts the evidence-based practice for NSI and monitors the changes in
outcome of practice for specific period. It will make them familiar about best interventions that
will reduce the incidence the NSI (Drisko & Grady, 2019).
Step 6: Disseminating the Outcome of EBP Process
When the nurse have identified the best intervention for lowering NSI for better health of
nursing staffs, they can communicate the result and experience to other staffs members. This can
be achieved by the taking EBP rounds, presentations at own health care organization, local or
national conference, reporting the measures in peer-reviewed journals (Baldwin et al., 2016).
Conclusion
The essay conclude by saying that steps of EBP can be useful in bring amendment in
standard practice and substituting with best outcome interventions. EBP gave new nursing skills
and strategy for practicing with syringes and needles to reduce needle stick injury. Hence, it is
suggested that EBP shall be promoted in every health organization for safety and healthy
practice.

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