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

Tatiany Marques Bandeira; Thainá Souza Ribeiro; Greiciane da Silva Rocha; Suleima Pedroza Vasconcelos

doi:10.1055/s-0045-1812760

Sleep Science, Inhaltsverzeichnis

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

¹Federal University of Acre, Rio Branco, AC, Brazil
Thainá Souza Ribeiro

¹Federal University of Acre, Rio Branco, AC, Brazil
Greiciane da Silva Rocha

¹Federal University of Acre, Rio Branco, AC, Brazil
Suleima Pedroza Vasconcelos

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

Abstract

Volltext

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.