Prevalence of Needlestick Injuries and Its Related Factors Among Nurses

Aims and objectives: Needle Stick Injuries (NSI) is one of the common occupational hazard for nurses and can occur because of variety of causes. This study was aimed at finding out the prevalence of NSI and to explore the factors related to NSI incidences. Methods and materials: This quantitative descriptive study was conducted among 150 nurses working two tertiary care hospitals in Haryana. Convenient sampling technique was used to selected nurses for the study. A self-developed socio-demographic profile and a questionnaire to assess needle stick injuries and related factors was administered to each of the study participants. Results: Majority (79.3%) of nurses were GNM qualified. Overall, every third nurse (33.3%) had sustained needle stick injury at least once in the past. Only 19 (12.7%) nurses have received Hepatitis-B vaccination. Nearly two third of the participants (64.9%) did not think that it was important to have Hepatitis B vaccination. More than half (56%) of the NSI incidents occurred while the nurses were recapping the needle, 10% of the incidences occurred while passing needle and 10% while disposing the needle and or breaking. The most common cause of NSI as perceived by nurses was lack of proper equipment for disposal (50%) followed by increased workload (24%), carelessness (18%) and fatigue (8%). Majority (62%) of the NSI was sustained during night shift Conclusion: Prevalence of NSI reported by the study is alarming and it needs attention to reduce the risk of occupational hazards. Study suggests that education and training of nurses and reinforcement to stick with the protocols is necessary for the nurses. Such interventions may reduce the risk of NSI incidents.