Students nurses' knowledge and prevalence of Needle Stick Injury in Jordan

Background: Student nurses are at high risk of blood-borne pathogens transmitted via Needle Stick Injury (NSI). Understanding various aspects of NSI is essential if they are to avoid the risks associated with it. Objectives: The study was conducted to measure student nurses' level of knowledge about NSI and to examine its prevalence and post-exposure measures in Jordan. Design: A cross-sectional and descriptive design was used. Sample and Setting: A sample of 279 student nurses studying at one private and four government universities distributed throughout Jordan. Method: The study used an online survey composed of 22 questions developed from NSI literature. The questionnaire was divided into three parts: background, to measure students' demographics; knowledge, to measure nurses' understanding of NSI; and prevalence, to measure exposure to NSI and the follow-up measures. Student nurses were recruited through Facebook. The survey was available online for one full semester in 2016/2017. Results: The total number of completed surveys was 279 (response rate =61%). Most of the students were female (n= 198; 71%), in their fourth year (n =114; 40.9%). Their mean age was 21 years (SD =2.5). The mean score for the knowledge part was 7 out of 10 (SD =1.7). Almost a third of the students had at least one incident of exposure to NSI (n =73; 26.2%). Most of the students who had suffered NSI did not inform their clinical instructors (67.1%) or write an incident report (86.3%). The results showed that there was no significant difference in the knowledge total scores between males and females or between students across different universities. However, a significant difference was found between students in different years of study (F (276, 2) = 6.77, p =0.001). Conclusion: Student nurses in Jordan have a moderate understanding of issues regarding NSI. This knowledge improved with seniority. However, exposure to NSI and its under-reporting is a prevalent problem. This study recommends focusing on NSI in the nursing curriculum, and providing more protection and post-exposure intervention for students during their clinical practice.