New federal measure protects nurses from needlesticks

ANA and constituent member associations (CMAs) across the nation campaigned long and hard for a federal measure that would save nurses' lives, and their efforts clearly paid off when President Clinton signed the Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act into law on Nov. 6. The legislation had passed the House on Oct. 4, and the Senate on Oct. 26.

ANA President Mary Foley (far right) looks on as President Clinton signed The Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act into law Nov. 6. Massachusetts Nurses Association President Karen Daley, who worked tirelessly for the law's passage, also was present at the signing.

"Nurses across the nation are rejoicing today," said ANA President Mary Foley, MS, RN. Foley and Massachusetts Nurses Association President Karen Daley, MPH, RN, joined President Clinton in the Oval Office for the signing of the bill into law. "For so long we have advocated for this legislation, knowing the impact it would have on nurses across the country. This legislation will save countless lives," Foley said.

The Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act (P.L. 106-430) was introduced in the Senate by Sens. James Jeffords (R-VT), Edward Kennedy (D-MA), Michael Enzi (R-WY) and Harry Reid (D-NV) and in the House by Reps. Cass Ballenger (R-NC) and Major Owens (D-NY). This legislation, which drew strong bipartisan support, provides for needlestick protections under the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

In addition to ANA's and CMAs' intense lobbying efforts and ANA's "Safe Needles, Save Lives" education campaign, Daley, Pennsylvania State Nurses Association member Lynda Arnold, RN, and Nevada Nurses Association member Lisa Black, RN, have been leaders in describing the need for this legislation. They all have disclosed their personal stories of how a needlestick injury changed their lives. Both Daley and Black contracted HIV and hepatitis C from a needlestick injury. Arnold contracted HIV.

"These courageous nurses can now begin to see the fruits of their labor," said Foley. "They shared their stories in order to put a face on the tragedy of needlestick injury and unselfishly worked to protect their colleagues and other health care workers in the workplace. They represent the countless number of nurses who experienced this same tragedy. I commend these women for their efforts and rejoice with them in the passage of this legislation."

Registered nurses and other health care workers face the risk of needlestick injury every day -- exposing themselves to potentially lethal bloodborne pathogens, such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C. Approximately 800,000 needlestick injuries occur in the United States annually.

The Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act amends the existing Bloodborne Pathogen Standard administered by OSHA to require the use of safer devices to protect from sharps injuries. It also requires that employers solicit the input of non-managerial employees responsible for direct patient care, who are potentially exposed to sharps injuries, in the identification, evaluation and selection of effective engineering and work-practice controls.

The bill also requires employers to maintain a sharps injury log to contain, at a minimum, the type and brand of device involved in the incident; the department or work area where the exposure incident occurred; and an explanation of how the incident occurred. The information would be recorded and maintained in a way that would protect the confidentiality of the injured employees. The log would be an important source of data for researchers to determine the relative effectiveness and safety of devices now on the market and those that may be developed in the future.