Louise Aiton 1
1 Infection Prevention Nurse, St Vincent’s Private Hospital Melbourne, Fitzroy, VIC, Australia
Introduction
At St Vincent’s Private Hospital Melbourne (SVPHM) the Exposure Injury Management Service was provided collaboratively by an external consultant and the in-house Infection Prevention Department. Limitations of the existing system were recognised. In July 2012 a new framework was developed to address limitations and the service was undertaken solely by SVPHM.
Aim
The aim of this project was to determine satisfaction levels of injured HCWs utilising the new service, to identify gaps in service provision and consider suggestions for improvements in service delivery.
Method
A questionnaire was distributed to HCWs who had sustained an exposure injury during a 12 month period. Participation was voluntary and data was de-identified to maintain confidentiality. Numerical and thematic analysis of the data was completed.
Results
Results indicated HCWs rated the service favourably and had insight into how to prevent injuries occurring. Promoting accessibility to counsellors, ensuring access to testing in the operating room, using multimodal methods for delivering follow up correspondence and providing education about consent for blood borne virus testing were suggestions that will inform future direction for the service.
Communication between counsellors and injured HCWs has provided insight into mechanisms of injury, with data obtained from monitoring trends used to direct campaigns designed to prevent future injury.
Conclusion
This project was successful in achieving its aims and supported the introduction of the new service. Measurable baseline data has been secured for future comparison and suggestions for improvement have been established. These will be used to guide the direction of the service.