Background:
Needlestick injuries (NSIs) are of the most widespread yet under-addressed occupational hazards in the veterinary profession (1,2). Over half of these injuries involve syringes containing potentially hazardous substances (e.g., sedatives, euthanasia agents, and vaccines). However, a profound reporting deficit, where less than 10% of injuries are formally documented, stifles regulatory and policy responses (3).
Recent research highlights a Compliance Paradox: veterinary practitioners have high cognitive awareness of sharps safety, yet clinical adherence remains low. This is driven by behavioural dissonance (such as routine needle recapping) and gaps in risk and treatment knowledge. To bridge this gap, we must move beyond simply telling clinicians to ‘be careful’ and instead provide practical, field-tested interventions.
Aims
Fully funded by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) this 1-year MPhil aims to evaluate the real-world feasibility, usability, and clinical compliance of physical safety tools designed to mitigate NSIs during high-risk veterinary activities. Specifically, the project will, evaluate the clinical integration of physical safety tools to determine if they can be seamlessly adopted into fast-paced veterinary workflows without compromising patient care, clinical safety, or efficiency
Training and Collaboration
Based at the University of Liverpool (Leahurst campus), you will join a world-class veterinary research environment. You will receive comprehensive training in:
- Mixed-methods research design, application, and analysis (integrating quantitative compliance data with qualitative focus group analysis).
- Scientific writing, presentation skills, and public engagement.
You will benefit from direct collaboration with leading veterinary epidemiologists, social scientists, and clinical teams, as well as close ties with the project funder (VMD). This will help position your findings to directly influence industry-wide guidance.
Applicants should normally hold, or expect to obtain, a first-class or strong upper second-class (2:1) degree in veterinary sciences, veterinary nursing, occupational health, epidemiology or a related discipline.
Experience working in a veterinary clinical setting would be advantageous.
We can only offer this opportunity to Home/UK students.
Email your CV and cover letter, project title and reference number to supervisor: Dr John Tulloch jtulloch@liverpool.ac.uk
