KNOWLEDGE, AWARENESS AND PRACTICE OF NEEDLE STICK AND SHARPS INJURIES AMONG HEALTHCARE SERVICE PROVIDERS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

This study aims to shed lights on the knowledge, awareness and practice of needle stick and sharps injuries among healthcare service providers in Saudi Arabia using King Fahd Hospital, the largest hospital in the country as a case study. The contemplated research has been conducted by following a quantitative approach. During the research, a questionnaire has been designed to collect information. For the research, 247 participants were selected from 800 registered nurses and physicians practicing within the hospital. The findings of the study demonstrate that a huge number of people are aware of the risks of needle stick at King Fahd Hospital and these issues are increasing day-by-day. By contrast, a continuous trend and precautionary techniques can be observed as well. The study concludes that based on the current status of knowledge, staff attitude, precautionary measure and compliance with needle safety precautions, study suggest the implementation of engineering control and elimination or substitution control will be more effective to deal with needle stick injuries.