In recent times, health care organizations have channeled efforts towards reducing infections from sharp injuries. Several advances have been developed to improve engineered safety devices that safeguard clinicians from mucocutaneous exposure and sharp injuries. Similarly, a number of legislations such as the Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act (NSPA) have been enacted to also protect nurses from the infections. These legislations have enabled healthcare workers in the United States to acquire more occupational rights and protection. Delisio (2012) points out that the NSPA also gives nurses the power to engage in determining the type of devices that will keep protect the practitioners from blood borne infections.

Some of the pathogens that are commonly transmitted from patients to healthcare workers include Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Hepatitis B virus (HBV), and the Hepatitis C virus (HCV). It is also important to note that although sharp injuries are mostly implicated, mucocutaneous (non-sharp) exposure also pose a significant challenge (Rice, Tomkins & Ncube, 2015). Mucocutaneous exposure can be due to accidental splashing of blood into a cut skin or eyes, disposing of body fluids, removal of catheters, or open wound dressing. According to Delisio, (2012), some of the risk factors that are commonly linked with these infections include use of hollow-bore needles, inappropriate disposal of sharps either through overfilling, punctures, or protruding of disposal containers. It has been noted that most practitioners rarely report the injury incidents due to beliefs that the exposures are not significant, confidentiality issues as well as concern about the repercussions associated with the injuries.

However, clinicians should understand that there are a number of benefits resulting from prompt reporting. For instance, prophylaxis of some infections such as HIV is successful if there is prompt intervention. It also provides a better opportunity for compliance to be analyzed and examination of the circumstances and factors that lead to the injury and how they can be avoided in future.