A Study On Knowledge And Practices Related To Safe Injection Practices Among Nursing Students In A Tertiary Care Hospital, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

Injections are one of the most frequently used medical procedures. In India around 3-6 billion injections are given per year. Injection overuse and sometimes unnecessary use of injections in low-income countries facilitate transmission of bloodborne pathogens such as hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Accidental exposure to blood and body fluids is frequent among nursing students. Therefore in this study we aim to study the safe injection practices among nursing college students. This cross-sectional study was carried out among all the general nursing students of 2nd & 3rd year in a tertiary care hospital. Data was collected using self-administered pre-tested questionnaire. Out of the 112 nurses who returned a completed questionnaire, about 56% followed safe injection practices. About 43.5% nurses washed their hands with soap and water before administering injection. Sterile gloves were used by 43.7% nurses, while needles were recapped in 42.5% of cases. Nearly one-third (33.5%) of study population recalled having sustained at least one Needle stick injury over the last one year, 58.9% (66 out of 112) nurses recalled having sustained between 1 and 4 injuries in the past 12-months. Around 35% did not have any training in injection safety. There is a need to educate, train and motivate service providers in proper method of handling injection equipments. To improve the facilities for hand washing & ensure adequate supply of gloves, hub cutters.