Occupational Exposure Incidents Among Nursing Students: Knowledge, Experience, and Reporting Practices-A
Mario Marendić1, Ajka Pribisalić1, Ivana Bokan1,2
1Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Split, 21000 Split, Croatia.
Nursing Reports (Pavia, Italy)
|May 26, 2026
Summary
Nursing students have significant knowledge gaps in occupational exposure protocols, despite adequate basic understanding. High rates of needlestick injuries highlight the need for improved practical training and incident reporting in nursing education.
Area of Science:
- Nursing Education
- Occupational Health
- Patient Safety
Background:
- Nursing students face high occupational exposure risks to blood and body fluids.
- Adequate knowledge and post-exposure protocols are crucial for safety and management.
- Limited clinical experience exacerbates these risks for nursing students.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess nursing students' knowledge of occupational exposure incidents.
- To evaluate their previous exposure experiences and incident reporting practices.
- To identify factors influencing knowledge levels among nursing students.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study involving 274 nursing students.
- Utilized a structured, self-administered questionnaire.
- Employed descriptive statistics and regression analyses.
Main Results:
- 36.3% of students experienced exposure incidents, predominantly needlestick injuries (80.1%).
- Less than half (40.8%) reported incidents officially.
- Knowledge gaps were noted in hepatitis B/C protocols and wound care, despite adequate overall scores.
Conclusions:
- Nursing students exhibit foundational knowledge but lack practical application and reporting of exposures.
- High needlestick injury rates necessitate enhanced clinical supervision and practical training.
- Nursing education must foster a safety culture to encourage incident reporting and improve practical skills.
Related Concept Videos
01:21Types of Reports II: Incident or Occurrence Report
An Incident or Occurrence Report in a healthcare setting is a crucial document used to record any unexpected occurrence that may or may not have affected a patient, employee, or visitor. Such reports are critical to improving patient safety and include all details leading up to and including the event.
Purposes:
In the healthcare industry, reports play a crucial role in documenting incidents within an agency. The primary objective of these reports is to ensure patient safety, uphold the...
Purposes:
In the healthcare industry, reports play a crucial role in documenting incidents within an agency. The primary objective of these reports is to ensure patient safety, uphold the...
01:22Healthcare Associated Infections II: Preventive Measures
Essential infection prevention measures are based on the knowledge of the infection chain, the modes of transmission in healthcare settings, and the use of the best practices in all healthcare settings. Compulsory public reporting of healthcare-associated infection rates is needed to allow individuals and the community to make informed choices regarding selecting a healthcare facility.
The best practices for preventing healthcare-associated infections include hand hygiene, patient risk...
The best practices for preventing healthcare-associated infections include hand hygiene, patient risk...
01:08Obedience
According to obedience research, we may harm others under the forceful pressures of an authority figure (Milgram, 1974). How about if the inappropriate orders were delivered with less force? The increasing interdependence between nurses and physicians compelled Hofling and his colleagues to explore nurses’ reactions to a potentially harmful medical request made by the perceived authority figure, the doctor (Hofling, Brotzman, Dalrymple, Graves, & Pierce, 1966). In this situation, obedience...
01:11Observational Studies
Observational studies are a type of analytical study where researchers observe events without any interventions. In other words, the researcher does not influence the response variable or the experiment's outcome.
There are three types of observational studies – Prospective, retrospective, and cross-sectional.
Prospective Study
Prospective studies, also known as longitudinal or cohort studies, are carried out by collecting future data from groups sharing similar characteristics. One example of...
There are three types of observational studies – Prospective, retrospective, and cross-sectional.
Prospective Study
Prospective studies, also known as longitudinal or cohort studies, are carried out by collecting future data from groups sharing similar characteristics. One example of...
01:30National Nursing Organizations II
Nursing organizations play a vital role in representing nurses working in specialized clinical settings, such as the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN).
The AACN emphasizes a healthy work environment through six standards to achieve an optimal patient outcome. The standards are appropriate staffing, meaningful recognition, collaboration, authentic leadership, effective communication, and decision-making. In addition, AACN provides certification programs, webinars, journals, and...
The AACN emphasizes a healthy work environment through six standards to achieve an optimal patient outcome. The standards are appropriate staffing, meaningful recognition, collaboration, authentic leadership, effective communication, and decision-making. In addition, AACN provides certification programs, webinars, journals, and...
01:23Nurses' Legal Responsibilities II
Establishing a secure, collaborative nurse-patient relationship is crucial for delivering high-quality care. This relationship, founded on trust, respect, and honesty, enhances the patient's comfort and willingness to share vital health information. For example, a nurse who listens actively and without judgment provides clear information about health conditions and treatment options and respects patient decisions, which builds a trusting relationship.
Communication between nurses and patients...
Communication between nurses and patients...