• Derek R Smith, Mutsuko Mihashi, Yasuko Adachi, Yukimi Shouyama, Fusayo Mouri, Noriko Ishibashi, and Tatsuya Ishitake.
• WorkCover New South Wales Research Centre of Excellence, University of Newcastle, Ourimbah, Australia. derek.smith@newcastle.edu.au
• Am J Infect Control. 2009 Sep 1; 37 (7): 545-50.

BackgroundAlthough certain aspects of organizational climate have been shown to influence needlestick and sharps injuries (NSI) among nurses, this issue has not been adequately investigated in Japan.MethodsOur study involved a modified version of the Hospital Safety Climate Scale, which was distributed to a large cross section of nurses in a Japanese teaching hospital.ResultsVarious aspects of safety climate were associated with a reduced NSI risk, such as being involved in health and safety matters (odds ratio [OR], 0.13; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.02-0.65) and being properly trained in risk control procedures (OR, 0.32; 95% CI: 0.12-0.78). Nurses working in departments in which health and safety information was readily available were more likely to report any NSI they sustained (OR, 4.91; 95% CI: 1.30-18.51), whereas nurses working in departments with minimal conflict were less likely to underreport their NSI (OR, 0.45; 95% CI: 0.22-0.87).ConclusionOverall, this study suggests that hospital safety climate has an important influence on NSI injury rates and reporting behavior among Japanese nurses. Given the multifaceted nature of identified risk, a comprehensive approach to infection control is clearly required and one that encompasses preventive strategies in both the cultural and physical domains.

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