Injection safety practices among Nurses in a Tertiary Health Facility in Delta State, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: The burden of unsafe injection practices is borne by the health care workers, patients and the community. High burden of injection has been found in Nigeria and this places Nigerians at an increased risk of blood borne infections. We report the prevalence of needle stick injury among nurses in a teaching hospital
Methods: A descriptive cross sectional study carried out over a period of 8 months (April to November 2013) involving 153 nurses in Delta State University Teaching Hospital (DELSUTH) using an interviewer administered questionnaire was used to collect data.
Results: The frequency of needle stick injury among the nurses was 57.5%, the level of reporting was 39.5%, while the level of knowledge on injection safety practices was 56.9%.
Conclusion: The frequency of needle stick injury was high, compared to a relative low reporting of the incidence. There is therefore need for the management of the hospital to have a laid down reporting procedure and also educate the workers on the action to take in the event of an exposure.

Keywords: Injection safety practices; Nurses; Teaching hospital