Prevalence, student nurses’ knowledge and practices of needle stick injuries during clinical training: a cross-sectional survey

Abstract

Background The incidence of needle stick injuries is higher among nurses with a low level of knowledge on the prevention of needle stick injury, and who have not received the relevant training during their undergraduate study. The aim of this study was to determine the level of knowledge of the prevention guidelines and the prevalence of needle stick injury among students in Oman. Methods An online cross-sectional survey using a questionnaire and involving 167 students from a governmental university was conducted. The questionnaire consists of 30 questions; eight general questions, knowledge related questions, and questions about risk factors, prevention measures, and actions in a case of needle stick injury. Ethical approval was obtained and the link to the survey was shared with students using their university email portal. Results Of the participants, 81.2% were females; mean age was 23.3 (SD = 4.5) years. The mean total knowledge score was 6.6 out of 10 (SD = 2.1). In addition, 18.2% (n = 32) of the students experienced needle stick injury. Most of the injuries 71.9% (n = 24) occurred during medication preparation and administration. The main cause of NSI as reported by students was recapping the needles (59%, n = 19). Conclusions This study demonstrates that student nurses have a moderate level of knowledge about needle stick injury prevention measures and lack many facets of safe infection control practice. These findings require the collaborative effort of nursing administrators from both academic and clinical areas, to develop effective strategies to reduce or eliminate the occurrence of needle stick injury.

Incidence, knowledge, attitude and practice toward needle stick injury among nursing students in Saudi Arabia

“…The researchers prepared the questionnaire based on NSI studies ( 6 , 8 ). The questionnaire had four parts.…”

Evaluation of occupational exposure reasons and experiences of nursing students

“…Attia et al (19) found that one of the reasons for occupational hazard exposure is the lack of occupational health and safety education. One of the most common hazards encountered by nursing students is needle-stick injuries, frequently caused by the recapping of needles after use (20,21). Suliman et al (22) stated that 46.2% of nursing students do not know that they should not recap the needle after use.…”

“…In the study conducted by Eyi et al (1), carelessness also played a major role in occupational accidents. Al Qadire et al (20) found that one of the major causes of needle-stick injuries was talking to others. Nursing students, in this study, stated that they experienced occupational hazard exposure due to the…”

The Investigation of Clinical Guidelines and Standards on Infection Control in Specialized Dental Departments

“…For instance, not using the correct recapping technique increases the risk of needle stick injuries. Al Qadire et al [22] showed that the knowledge score of dental students regarding the needle stick injuries and how to prevent them was 6 out of 10. They reported the occurrence of needle stick injuries during preparation for anesthesia administration in 70% of those who experienced such injuries.…”