ABSTRACT
Introduction: Safety of healthcare workers (HCWs) is essential for patients safety. Despite of this fact, HCWs are at high risk of work-related injuries (WRI). Those injuries include falls, musculoskeletal disorders, needle stick injuries (NSIs) and workplace violence. These injuries have a negative impact on HCWs and reduces the quality of care. It is, therefore, important to analyze the occurrence of WRIs aiming the design of better targeted interventions to improve safety environment and work conditions in hospitals, which in turn, can improve the quality and outcomes of patient care. Methods: A retrospective study collected data about WRI reports available in the Armed Forces Hospital Southern Region (AFHSR). Injuries were NSIs that occurred during the period from January 2010 to June 2015 and workplace violence during the period from March 2014 to June 2015. Results: Total NSIs were 338 with a peak incidence of 85 (4.39%) during 2010, while the lowest incidence occurred during 2015 (n= 31, 1.12%). Regarding to workplace violence, 211 incidents were reported over the period of two years, and there was decreasing from 125 cases (4.73%) in 2014 to 86 cases (3.11%) in 2015. Discussion: The analysis showed that nurses had the highest rate of NSIs and workplace violence as compared to other HCWs. The highest rate of NSIs took place in dental, family and community medicine clinics which are usually crowded and had more activities, but emergency room and other clinics had the highest frequency of workplace violence. Conclusion: Needle stick injuries and workplace violence represent a major occupational challenge to HCWs in the hospital. To prevent those types of WRIs, there is a need for a system of environmental safety, continuous education, skills development, and infection control surveillance that is based on best available evidence of quality and safety best practices.
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to understand and describe the hospital workers' experience related to the hospital evaluation program implemented in Korea between 2004 and 2009. METHODS: During 2010, data were collected using focus group interviews. Four focus group interviews were held with a total of 28 hospital workers participating. All interviews were recorded and transcribed as they were spoken, and data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: Nine themes emerged from the analysis: 1) Positive change in the necessity of the evaluation; 2) Improvement in the hospital system, facilities, and human resources; 3) Unity through cooperation among departments; 4) Nursing work overload; 5) Lack of physicians' awareness and responsibilities; 6) Unfair and unrealistic evaluation items; 7) Lack of credibility of the outcome; 8) Shifting responsibility for negative outcomes to the workers; 9) Lack of pragmatic utility. CONCLUSION: The results of the study demonstrate that the hospital evaluation program played a key role in improving some work environments and communication among departments. At the same time, they show various negative themes resulting from the context of very authoritarian hospital systems and a connection-oriented society in Korea.