Determination of nursing students' awareness, concern and anxiety levels regarding sharps injuries

Aim: This study was planned to determine the awareness, worry and anxiety levels of nursing students against needlestick injuries. Material and Method: Population of this descriptive and correlational study consists of 402 nursing students studying at a university. Sample of the study consists of 338 students who met the inclusion criteria of the study. Descriptive Information Form, Student Nurse Needlestick Injury Prediction Scale (SNNIPS), Worry and Anxiety Questionnaire (WAQ) were used to collect the data. Descriptive statistics, independent student t-test, ANOVA analysis and Pearson Correlation analysis were used to analyse the data. Results: It was found that 69.5% of the students were female, 34.6% were in their third year and the mean age was 21.52±2.11 years. It was also found that 23.1% of the nursing students who were injured with needlesticks were injured once, 18.6% were injured in internal clinics, 17.5% were injured while breaking ampoule or opening vial, 21.3% washed their hands with soap and water after the injury, 30.5% did not report the needlestick injury, 20.7% did not report the needlestick injury because the needlestick did not come into contact with the patient. Mean score of the students was 47.06±7.02 and mean WAQ score was 36.81±16.10. A weak positive correlation was found between SNNIPS and WAQ. Conclusion: As a result of the research, it was determined that the students' SNNIPS status was above the medium level, and their WAQ status was below the medium level. It is seen that the students' perceived seriousness and benefit regarding sharp object injuries were above the medium level, but the obstacles should be eliminated. It was found that the anxiety and worry levels of the students included in the study increased as the level of awareness about needlestick injuries increased. It is recommended that nursing students should be supported by lecturers, counsellor nurses and nurses during clinical practice and their anxiety and anxiety levels should be reduced by ensuring their professional self-efficacy.