Shalaw Faris Ahmed - Surgical Specialist, Hospital-Cardiac Center, Kurdistan Regional Government, Erbil, Iraq.
Jamal Kareem Shakor - Nursing Department, Darbandikhan Technical Institute, Sulaimani Polytechnic University, Sulaymaniyah, Iraq.
Titi Rahmawati Hamedon - Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
Dlovan Mohammed Fatel Jalal - Surgical Specialist, Hospital-Cardiac Center, Kurdistan Regional Government, Erbil, Iraq.
Dlzar Omer Qadir - Assistant Lecturer, College of Nursing, Hawler Medical University, Erbil, Iraq.

Introduction: Needle-stick and sharp injuries (NSSI) pose a serious problem and a major risk of work-related transmitted diseases among healthcare workers. The extent of NSI in the Kurdistan region / Iraq hospitals has been unknown. The factors related to NSIs among healthcare workers were evaluated in the present study. The main purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence of NSI and its associated factors among the respondents. Material and Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted on ۱۵۰ randomly selected healthcare staff with a working experience of at least ۱ year in the hospital. The study location is a surgical specialist hospital-cardiac center, situated in Erbil/Iraq. The self-administered questionnaire was used to collect information on socio-demographic, employment and individual characteristics, as well as data on NSSI, suffered in the past ۱۲ months. Results: The majority of participants (۳۴%) were in the ۳۰ to ۳۵year age group. Most were male (۶۰.۷%), married (۶۱.۳%), have at least degree qualification (۸۹%). The prevalence of NSSI was ۶۷%. Needle stick was the main frequent of NSSRs (۶۶%). Needle recap was all the time done among health workers ۱۰۴ (۶۹%), they almost use both hands for recap ۱۳۶ (۹۱%). Education, working environment satisfaction, sleeping quality of the health staff have been considered the main indicators of NSSI. Conclusion: The rate of NSSI was considered high in this study compared to the rates in many developing countries. Arrangement schedules for work and sleeping of staff could decrease the NSSI rate.

Needle-stick and sharp injuries, Surgical Specialist, Erbil