STOP STICKS CAMPAIGN

Poster Templates

Using poster templates: Overview

Templates provide a simple way to produce professional posters that effectively attract attention and remind health care workers about sharps safety. The section below helps you choose an effective template for your situation. It also walks you through the steps of modifying images, text, and data to better suit your campaign.

The templates provided here include graphics that show:

• the unique risks of sharps injuries among specific department members
• photos of facility staff modeling proper and improper techniques
• professional images designed to raise general awareness of needlestick risks

Choosing a template

Select a template based on the specific data available and weekly themes chosen. Decide which of the templates will best communicate the types of risk encountered at your facility, and in specific departments. There are five types of posters: general awareness, data display, correct technique, fast facts, and informational display.

Template formats

The poster templates are embedded in a series of PowerPoint slides. A basic knowledge of Microsoft Office is needed to extract the files and print them. Posters can be printed using standard desktop printers.

Modifying images, text, and data

The templates allow you to customize images, text, and data to fit your facility's specific needs.

• Images in the template can be replaced with digital photos of your own staff members and instruments taken on location at your facility.
• Text boxes allow you to insert your facility's information. Be sure to delete instructional text boxes and arrows, and write over instructional segments and example quotes.
• Data can also be imported from your own facility into datasheets, which are linked to the various graphs and charts. To enter your data, double-click the chart area of the slide and substitute the appropriate labels and numbers from your facility's data in place of the examples provided. You may also decide to include fewer or more categories of exposure or occupation depending on your specific data, or to create similar data displays with information other than that given in the examples.

Printing and displaying posters

To print posters, simply print the slides (which should be the default print option for your PowerPoint files). You may choose to print selected poster slides or all of them. Color printouts are preferable, as these will create more eye-catching displays. Posters should be displayed in several locations (doors, bulletin boards, lounges, locker rooms, etc.) to maximize message exposure.