Needlestick and sharps injuries among nursing students.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Occupational Health and Safety
• Infectious Disease Epidemiology

Background:

• Needlestick and sharps injuries (NSIs) are a primary route for blood-borne pathogen transmission in healthcare.
• Nurses are a high-risk group, and nursing students may face elevated risks due to limited experience.
• The epidemiology of NSIs among Australian nursing students remains under-researched.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the prevalence and nature of NSIs among Australian nursing students.
• To identify risk factors associated with NSIs in this population.
• To compare injury rates with international findings.

Main Methods:

• A questionnaire-based study adapted from international research.
• Recruitment of nursing students from a large university in North Queensland, Australia.
• Analysis of NSIs as a percentage of students and cases, with logistic regression for risk factors.

Main Results:

• A response rate of 85.9% (274/319 students) was achieved.
• 13.9% of students reported an NSI in the past 12 months.
• Third-year students had a significantly higher risk (OR 14.8) of NSIs; common causes included hollow-bore needles and opening caps, often with unused items. Most injuries occurred in labs or hospitals, and nearly 40% were unreported.

Conclusions:

• Despite excellent hepatitis B vaccination coverage, infection control principles require reinforcement.
• Consistent emphasis on reporting all NSIs is vital throughout undergraduate nursing education.
• Findings indicate higher NSI rates among Australian nursing students compared to international cohorts.