| Learning Objective #1: Describe nursing students’ knowledge of factors related to disease transmission by needlestick injury, including recommended practices of needle safety by degree program | |||
| Learning Objective #2: Describe nursing students’ compliance with precautions concerning needlestick injury and needle safety by degree program and course level |
Objective: To determine the relationships between selected institutional and personal demographic factors, knowledge, observation of environmental risk factors, and the degree of nursing student compliance with precautions for the prevention of transmission of infectious diseases. Design: Descriptive, correlational study. Population, Sample, Setting, Years: Data was collected from 710 students enrolled in clinical courses at seven randomly selected associate and baccalaureate degree nursing programs in Louisiana during 2000/2001. Concept or Variables Studied Together or Intervention and Outcome Variable(s): Relationships between nursing students’ knowledge of factors related to disease transmission by needlestick injury, observations of environmental risk factors, and compliance with recommended precautions for the prevention of occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens were examined. Methods: An 89 item questionnaire was administered to students enrolled in clinical courses at three associate degree and four baccalaureate nursing programs in order to measure knowledge, compliance, observations of environmental risk factors, and demographics. Findings: Mean scores on knowledge, for students from baccalaureate and associate degree programs did not differ, but scores for both groups were lower than might be expected for mastery level achievement. Baccalaureate nursing students scored significantly higher on compliance than associate degree students, t(617) = 7.62, p = .000, d = .31. Students indicated that demonstration was the most helpful teaching strategy, but it was used less often than lecture. Students followed precautions more often when modeling the actions of admired teachers than when modeling the actions of admired nurses. Seven variables explained 20.6% of the variance in compliance. Conclusions: Considering the gravity of potential consequences of needlestick injuries, greater mastery of content related to the prevention of occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens is desirable and justified. Implications: The findings suggest that nurse educators reconsider curriculum design, course content, and teaching strategies concerning nursing student compliance.
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Back to 14th International Nursing Research Congress
Sigma Theta Tau International
10-12 July 2003