Evaluation of occupational exposure reasons and experiences of nursing students

Year 2022, Volume: 5 Issue: 6, 1529 - 1534, 25.10.2022

Sevcan Topçu , Zuhal Emlek Sert

https://doi.org/10.32322/jhsm.1151977

Abstract

Aim: The aim of this study was to describe the occupational exposure reasons and experiences of nursing students.
Material and Method: The qualitative research design was used. The participants were selected using the purposive sampling method. The 20 nursing students included in this study. The data was collected at face-to-face interviews conducted during September 2019 and February 2020.
Results: The mean age of nursing students was 21.65±0.91. The majority (85%) of nursing students were women, and 15% were men (n=3). From the interviews, six key themes were identified regarding the nursing students’ experiences of occupational exposure in the last six months: lack of knowledge, inadequate experience, theoretical and practical training loads, inadequate resources, lack of warning and information, and carelessness.
Conclusion: The one of the most important reasons for exposure to occupational hazards is lack of knowledge. Nursing Schools should ensure that nursing students are adequately trained in occupational hazards before their clinical placements.

Keywords

occupational hazards, nursing students, qualitative research

References

• Eyi S, Eyi İ. Nursing students’ occupational health and safety problems in surgical clinical practice. SAGE Open 2020; 10: 1.
• Moghaddam HR, Aghamohammadi V, Jafari M, Absalan M, Nasiri K. Challenges faced by nursing students to work with nursing personnel: A qualitative study. Adv Med Educ Prac 2020; 11: 313.
• Huang H, Yi Q, Tang S, An R. Occupational exposure among Chinese nursing students: current status, risking factors and preventive interventions. Int J Clin Experiment Med 2016; 8: 16578-86.
• Akan A, Toyran M, Erkoçoğlu M, Kaya A, Kocabaş C. The prevalence of allergic contact sensitization of practicing and student nurses. Int J Occup Environ Med 2012; 3: 1.
• Boucaut R, Cusack L."Sometimes your safety goes a bit by the wayside": Exploring occupational health and safety with student nurses. Nurse Educ Pract 2016; 20: 93–8.
• Tao X, Peng H, Qian L, et al. Occupational exposure to positive blood and body fluids among health care workers in a Chinese university hospital: a three years retrospective study. Glob J Health Sci 2017; 9: 157-62.
• Visser MJ, Verberk, MM, van Dijk, FJ, Bakker JG, Bos JD, Kezic S. Wet work and hand eczema in apprentice nurses; part I of a prospective cohort study. Contact Dermatitis 2014; 70: 44-55.
• Cheung K, Ching SSY, Chang KKP, Ho SC. Prevalence of and risk factors for needlestick and sharps injuries among nursing students in Hong Kong. Am J Infect Control 2012; 40: 997-1001.
• Hada V, Saurabh K, Sharma A, Nag VL, Gadepalli RS, Maurya AK. Nursing students: a vulnerable health-care worker for needlesticks injuries in teaching hospitals. J Fam Med Prim Care 2018; 7: 717.
• Trivedi A, Kasar PK, Tiwari R, Verma P, Sharma A. An educational interventional programme for prevention and management of needle stick injuries among nursing students at a tertiary care hospital, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. Natl J Community Med 2013; 4: 132–6.
• Çakar M, Şişman NY, Oruç D. Hemşirelik Öğrencilerinin klinik uygulamalarında karşılaştıkları sağlık riskleri. Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Hemşirelik Fakültesi Elektronik Derg 2019; 12: 2.
• Doğru BV, Akyol, A. Hemşirelik öğrencilerinde kesici ve delici alet yaralanmalarının değerlendirilmesi. Acıbadem Üniversitesi Sağlık Bilimleri Derg 2018; 1: 59-66.
• Firmino CF, Sousa LMM, Marques JM, et al. Prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms in nursing students. BMC Health Services Res 2018; 18: 54.
• Abledu JK, Offei EB. Musculoskeletal disorders among first-year Ghanaian students in a nursing college. African Health Sci 2015; 15: 444-9.
• Seibel M. For us or against us? Perceptions of faculty bullying of students during undergraduate nursing education clinical experiences. Nurse Educ Pract 2014; 14: 271-4.
• Tee S, Özçetin YSÜ, Russell-Westhead M. Workplace violence experienced by nursing students: A UK survey. Nurse Educ Today 2016; 41: 30-5.
• Magnavita N, Heponiemi T. Workplace violence against nursing students and nurses: an Italian experience. J Nurs Scholarship 2011; 43: 203-10.
• Amare TG, Tesfaye TT, Girmay B, Gebreagziabher TT. Exposure to occupational health hazards among nursing and midwifery students during clinical practice. Risk Manag Healthc Policy 2021; 14: 2211.
• Attia NMN, Sorour AS, Ahmed FM. Occupational health hazards among faculty of nursing students in Zagazig University. Zagazig Nurs J 2018; 14: 133-47.
• Al Qadire M, Ballad CAC, Al Omari O, et al. Prevalence, student nurses’ knowledge and practices of needle stick injuries during clinical training: a cross-sectional survey. BMC Nurs 2021; 20: 187.
• Veronesi L, Giudice L, Agodi A, et al. A multicentre study on epidemiology and prevention of needle stick injuries among students of nursing schools. Ann Ig 2018; 30: 99–110.
• Suliman M, Al Qadire M, Alazzam M, Aloush S, Alsaraireh A, Alsaraireh FA. Students nurses’ knowledge and prevalence of needle stick injury in Jordan. Nurse Educ Today 2018; 60: 23-7.
• Unver V, Tastan S, Coskun H. The frequency and causes of occupational ınjuries among nursing students in turkey. Archives of Environmental & Occupational Health 2012; 67: 72-7.
• Yang YH, Wu MT, Ho CK, et al. Needlestick/sharps injuries among vocational school nursing students in southern Taiwan. Am J Infect Contr 2004; 32: 431-5.
• Prasuna J, Sharma R, Bhatt A, et al. Occurrence and knowledge about needle stick injury in nursing students. J Ayub Med Coll Abbottabad 2015; 27: 430-3.
• Papadopoli R, Bianco A, Pepe D, Pileggi C, Pavia M. Sharps and needle-stick injuries among medical residents and healthcare professional students: pattern and reporting in Italy—a cross-sectional analytical study. Occup Environ Med 2019; 76: 739–45.
• Souza-Borges FRF, Rıbeıro LA, Olıveıra LCM. Occupational exposures to body fluids and behaviors regarding their prevention and post-exposure among medical and nursing students at a Brazilian public university. Rev Inst Med Trop Sao Paulo 2014; 56: 157-63.