Factors affecting nurse interns’ compliance with standard precautions for preventing stick injury

Abstract

Aim: Compliance with standard precautions (SPs) is a critical workplace safety issue for nurse interns (NIs) as they are clinically incompetent, and obligated to cover nursing shortage in intensive care units (ICUs). Thus current study aimed to assess factors affecting NIs’ compliance with SPs.

Methods: Descriptive study design was used. The sample included 110 NIs trained in ICUs at University Hospitals. Tools: Tool (I) Factors affecting NIs’ compliance with SPs included items on compliance with SPs, environmental risk factors, stick injuries, and vaccination, influence of role-modeling and refreshment program on compliance with SPs. Tool (II) Knowledge test covered SPs and transmission of blood-borne pathogens.

Results: About 40% of NIs noncompliance with SPs due to lack in supplies and equipments, Majority of them had low and moderate knowledge level regarding SPs. 71.8% had 4-6 times needle stick injuries and 88.2% didn’t report it. 39.1% never use protective equipment in emergency and 29.1% always recap contaminated needles.

Conclusions: NIs are at risk of stick injury as they lacking knowledge and skills regarding SPs. Moreover, lacking of supplies and training programs regarding SPs, and absence of reporting system of these incidents contribute to NIs noncompliance with SPs thus they are more at risk of blood transmitted diseases.