Needle Sticks Injuries and its Related Factors among Nurses

Needle stick injuries as one of the most common occupational injuries in nursing are very important because of their potential risk of transmission of blood-borne infectious disease. The aim of this study was to determine the characteristics of needle stick injuries and its related factors among nursing staff. In this cross-sectional study, 120 nursing staff of Saqqez Imam Khomeini's Hospital was recruited by census in 2014. Data was collected by needle stick injuries questionnaire and analyzed by descriptive statistics, independent T-test, Fisher's exact test and Chi -Square using PASW (Predictive Analytics Software). from a total of 120 nurses, 53 (44.2%) had a history of needle stick injuries in the last year. Comparing to other nurses, those with needle sticks injury were younger (p=0.01) and had less work experience (p=0.03). A total of 111 nurses (92.5%) had been vaccinated against hepatitis B and there was a significant relationship between hepatitis B vaccination and needle stick injuries (p=0.03). Only 14 nurses (11.7%) had reported their needle stick injuries. Regarding the high frequency of needle stick injuries in nursing staff, nursing managers should consider preventive approaches such as maintaining safety measures in work environment, providing complete vaccination coverage and a reliable reporting system to confront with this problem.