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Safe Needles Save Lives

Join ANA in the fight for a safer workplace

Resources

Documents

• ANA Needlestick Prevention Guide [pdf]
  Every year, hundreds of thousands of health care workers are exposed to deadly diseases like HIV and hepatitis C through needlestick and sharps injuries. With today’s technology, nurses no longer need to face such high risks. ANA is dedicated to working with nurses across the country to significantly reduce needlestick and sharps injuries.
• Position Statement: Needle Exchange and HIV - 4/02/93
  Summary: An increasing percentage of HIV/AIDS cases are related to injection drug use (IDU). The sharing of contaminated needles is the primary method of transmission for intravenous drug users. Nurses support the availability of needle exchange programs which include adherence to public health and infection control guidelines, access for referral to treatment and rehabilitation services, and education about the transmission of HIV disease.
• Position Statement: Post-Exposure Programs in the Event of Occupational Exposure to HIV/HBV - 9/06/91
  Summary: The American Nurses Association (ANA) encourages the prompt access to confidential post-exposure evaluations, counseling, and follow-up by knowledgeable clinicians. These procedures should be considered the standard of care by any health care agency. A comprehensive post-exposure program should be in place to assure that employees receive accurate information, guidance, reassurance, and supportive care.
• Position Statement: Equipment/Safety Procedures to Prevent Transmission of Bloodborne Diseases - 9/06/91
  Summary: The American Nurses Association (ANA) urges immediate and ongoing research and evaluation of devices and equipment intended to reduce risk of injury from sharps and of personal protective equipment designed to reduce exposure. In order to reduce the risk of exposure to bloodborne pathogens, ANA supports the consistent and strict use of universal precautions; the availability of proven safety measures; the standardization of methods to assure equipment is safe; and the continued evaluation and modification of work practices to assure optimum safety in the workplace.
• Facts About Needlestick Injury
  Health care workers (HCWs) suffer between 600,000 and one million injuries from conventional needles and sharps annually. These exposures can lead to hepatitis B, hepatitis C and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), the virus that causes AIDS.