Objectives: To describe and characterize the rates and the nature of needlestick injuries among nursing students in China.
Methods: A questionnaire was delivered to 248 randomly selected nursing students from seven training hospitals to obtain information relevant occupational needlestick injuries.
Results: A total of 1144 incidents of needlestick injuries were reported among the 246 nurses during the time period of internship. The overall rate of needlestick injuries among these nurses was 100%, according to this survey. Insufficient awareness of occupational safety and limited work experience with handling needlestick injuries in these nurse students were significantly reported. In addition, when stratified by departments, the highest rate of needlestick injuries was seen in the surgery department. The occurrence of needlestick injuries is significantly related to clinical practice behaviors.
Conclusions: Needlestick injuries are commonly reported in nursing students in China. Enhanced awareness of occupational safety in nursing students is expected to reduce the risk of needlestick injuries.
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