title: Qualitative content analysis of psychologic discomfort and coping process after needlestick injuries among health care workers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study was designed to survey psychologic discomfort and coping processes of health care workers that suffered needlestick injuries (NSIs).
  
  
  METHODS
  This qualitative analysis was performed with 15 health care workers who experienced NSIs. Data were collected using face-to-face interviews. The study subjects were asked the following: please describe the psychologic discomfort that you experienced after the NSI incidence. Data were evaluated by qualitative content analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Types of psychologic discomfort after NSI among health care workers included anxiety, anger, and feelings of guilt. Some personnel adopted active coping strategies, such as seeking first aid or reporting the incident to a monitoring system, whereas others used passive coping methods, such as avoidance of reporting the incident, vague expectancy to have no problems, and reliance on religious beliefs. Recommended support strategies to improve the prevention of NSIs were augmenting employee education and increasing recognition of techniques for avoiding NSIs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Medical institutions need to provide employees with repeated education so that they are familiar with guidelines for preventing NSIs and to stimulate their alertness to the risk of injuries at any time, in any place, and to anybody.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, University of Ulsan, Ulsan, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jae Sim
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, University of Ulsan, Ulsan, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Haeng Mi
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Son
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, Pusan National University, Busan, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: jeongis@pusan.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Ihn Sook
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Samsung Changwon Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Changwon, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jun Seok
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Son
authors.affiliation: Seegene Medical Foundation, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Kyong-sok
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Chungwoon University, Chungnam, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sung Won
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Yoonchang
authors.affiliation: Department of Infection Control Office, Ajou University Hospital, Suwon, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hye Young
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.affiliation: Infection Prevention and Control Team, Dankook University Hospital, Cheon-An, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Si Hyeon
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Infection Prevention and Control Team, Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital, Bucheon, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Su Ha
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Han
mesh_terms: D000786:Anger; D001007:Anxiety; D005260:Female; D006167:Guilt; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D016602:Needlestick Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Adaptation; Health personnel; Needlestick injuries; Psychologic; Qualitative research