Abstract
Background: The incident of needle stick and sharp injuries (NSSI) in healthcare settings remains a global issue, with more than one million cases of NSSI estimated annually among European HCWs. In South Africa, recent studies on the prevalence and contributing factors of NSSI among nursing students are lacking. The lack of recent data on NSSI is of great concern because nursing students are at a higher risk of being exposed to NSSI, mainly owing to their lack of clinical skills and experience. The study aimed to determine the prevalence and contributing factors of NSSI among nursing students from selected tertiary hospitals in Gauteng Province, South Africa. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 142 nursing students selected using a random sampling method. Data was collected using a pre-coded self-administered closed-ended questionnaire.. Statistical analysis was conducted using the statistical software SPSS to determine the frequency distributions of all factors. Factors significantly associated with NSSI were identified using multivariate logistic regression. Results: The study findings showed a high NSSI prevalence of 43% (61/142) among nursing students from selected tertiary hospitals in Gauteng Province, South Africa. Out of 142 participating students, 82.4% (117/142) reported having received training on injections and handling of needles. However, almost half, 45.2% (53/117) of trained students, still encountered NSSI. The most common instruments responsible for NSSI were needles (75.0%), medication vials (15.6%), and surgical equipment (7.8%). Common procedures associated with NSSI were injecting a patient (29.2%), suturing (12.3%), and needle recapping (12.3%). The majority of the NSSI were encountered while working in the surgical ward (25.8%), medical ward (21.2%) and maternity ward (19.7%). Total hours worked per week were significantly associated with the occurrence of NSSI among nursing students. Nursing students who work more than 40 hours per week were 4.5 times more likely to encounter NSSI than nursing students who work less than 40 hours per week (AOR = 4.529, 95% CI: 1.59 – 12.93, p = ≤ 0.05).. Conclusion: The current study revealed a high prevalence of NSSI among nursing students. Nursing students who work more than 40 hours per week are at increased risk of encountering NSSI; therefore, the working hours should be reduced to mitigate the risks of NSSI. Needles, medication vials, injection procedures and suturing are the most common instruments and procedures contributing to NSSI among nursing students. As such, current training and policies on injections and handling of needles need to be reviewed and strengthened to ensure that they are comparable with training policies of other countries with a low prevalence of NSSI among nursing students.