Open Access
CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Sleep Sci 2025; 18(S 02): S1-S40
DOI: 10.1055/s-0045-1812760
ID: 79

Occupational Stress and the Occurrence of Accidents Involving Biological Material Among Health Professionals: A Scoping Review

Authors

  • Tatiany Marques Bandeira

    1   Federal University of Acre, Rio Branco, AC, Brazil

  • Thainá Souza Ribeiro

    1   Federal University of Acre, Rio Branco, AC, Brazil

  • Greiciane da Silva Rocha

    1   Federal University of Acre, Rio Branco, AC, Brazil

  • Suleima Pedroza Vasconcelos

    1   Federal University of Acre, Rio Branco, AC, Brazil
Weitere Informationen
Auch verfügbar auf
 

Introduction: Workplace stress is defined as a set of psychological disturbances or mental suffering associated with work experiences, causing discomfort or affecting health. Among workers exposed to stress, health professionals experience excessive workloads in a context of pain, suffering, and death. Despite the relevance of this topic, studies investigating its relationship with the occurrence of needlestick injuries remain scarce. This study aims to map the publications on the effects of occupational stress influencing the occurrence of accidents involving biological material among health professionals.

Methods: This is a scoping review based on the systematic review method of the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI). The review question was: “What are the effects of occupational stress as a precursor to accidents involving biological material among health professionals?” Searches were conducted in MEDLINE/PubMed, LILACS, CINAHL, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science, filtering for articles in English, Portuguese, and Spanish without a time restriction.

Results: A total of 7,506 studies were identified, of which 97 were selected for full text reading, 42 were assessed for eligibility, resulting in a final sample of 15 potential studies for synthesis. The studies are both national and international in scope, using quantitative research approaches that highlight various effects of stress preceding accidents involving biological material, including lack of attention, lack of concentration, exhaustion, momentary distraction, judgment errors, and unsafe behavior.

Conclusion: Occupational stress is a state characterized by the wear and tear on the human body and a decrease in work capacity, producing various deleterious effects in the cognitive domain that lead professionals to engage in unsafe practices, particularly in handling sharp materials. Consequently, it contributes to the occurrence of accidents involving biological material. In this context, it is necessary to implement measures within health institutions by managers regarding this topic to prevent or reduce the incidence of this issue.



Publikationsverlauf

Artikel online veröffentlicht:
08. Oktober 2025

© 2025. Brazilian Sleep Academy. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

Thieme Revinter Publicações Ltda.
Rua Rego Freitas, 175, loja 1, República, São Paulo, SP, CEP 01220-010, Brazil