title: Long work hours and chronic insomnia are associated with needlestick and sharps injuries among hospital nurses in Taiwan: A national survey.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Needlestick and sharps injuries are prevalent work-related injuries among nurses. Safety devices prevent only one-quarter of related injuries. More studies of modifiable risk factors are needed.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine whether long work hours and chronic insomnia are associated with needlestick and sharps injuries among hospital nurses in Taiwan.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  This analysis included 19,386 full-time bedside nurses working in 104 hospitals across Taiwan.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants filled out an anonymous questionnaire from July to September 2014. Chronic insomnia, needlestick injuries, and sharps injuries during the past year were each measured by a yes/no question. Multivariate logistic regression models were applied to examine the effects of long work hours and chronic insomnia on needlestick and sharps injuries, given with control for sex, marital status, educational level, age, years of practice, work unit, and hospital level in the model.
  
  
  RESULTS
  More than 70% of study nurses worked long hours during the previous week (>50h: 27.5%; 41-50h: 43.2%), and 15.5% of nurses reported chronic insomnia. The percentage of sharps injuries (38.8%) was higher than that for needlestick injuries (22.4%) during the previous year among nurses. After adjusting for potential confounders, logistic regression yielded significant results showing that those who worked 41 to 50h per week, >50h per week, and had chronic insomnia were 1.17 times (95% C.I.=1.04-1.32), 1.51 times (95% C.I.=1.32-1.72), and 1.45 times (95% C.I.=1.25-1.68) more likely to experience needlestick injuries, and 1.29 times (95% C.I.=1.17-1.42), 1.37 times (95% C.I.=1.23-1.53), and 1.56 times (95% C.I.=1.37-1.77) more likely to experience sharps injuries, respectively, than those who worked fewer hours and did not have insomnia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This nationwide nurse survey showed that high rates of needlestick and sharps injuries persist in hospital nurses in Taiwan. The common problems of long work hours and chronic insomnia increase the risk of these injuries. We suggest that hospital managers follow regulations on work hours and optimize shift schedules for nurses to decrease related injuries.
authors: Department of Nursing, Taipei City Hospital, Songde Branch, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address: B4139@tpech.gov.tw.
authors: Wen-Yen
authors: WY
authors: Lo
authors: Institute of Public Health, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address: stchiou@ym.edu.tw.
authors: Shu-Ti
authors: ST
authors: Chiou
authors: Institute of Hospital and Health Care Administration, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address: syhuang@ym.edu.tw.
authors: Nicole
authors: N
authors: Huang
authors: Institute of Community Health Care, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address: lychien@ym.edu.tw.
authors: Li-Yin
authors: LY
authors: Chien
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D016602:Needlestick Injuries / Q000209:etiology*; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital; D060051:Occupational Injuries / Q000209:etiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000150:complications*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013624:Taiwan; D014940:Work Schedule Tolerance
keywords: Insomnia; Needle sticks and sharp injuries; Nurses; Work overtime