Publication

Abstract : Needle stick injuries constitute a major hazard for the transmission of viral diseases such as Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and HIV. In the clinical settings, lack of clinical experience and insufficient attention to personal safety put nursing students at high risk for occupational exposure to blood borne pathogens through needle stick injuries and sharp injuries. The purpose of the study was to determine the knowledge regarding post exposure prophylaxis (PEP) following needle stick injuries among B.Sc. Nursing students. Materials and methods: The research design adopted for the study was descriptive design. The study was conducted among 134 B.Sc. Nursing students using convenience sampling technique. The data were collected using semi structured knowledge questionnaire and analyzed by using descriptive and inferential statistics with the help of SPSS package. Results: The results revealed that out of 134 respondents 125(93%) had an average knowledge regarding post exposure prophylaxis following needle stick injury, and also revealed that there is no significant association between level of knowledge regarding PEP following needle stick injury with demographic variables. Regarding students knowledge on different variables on PEP following needle stick injury they have a good knowledge on prevention, average knowledge regarding meaning and risk factor of needle stick injuries and the lowest mean score in the area of management and complications of PEP. Conclusion: Based on the findings of the study, it is concluded that the nursing students have an average knowledge regarding post exposure prophylaxis following needle stick injury. Further analysis revealed that student had least knowledge on areas like management and complications of PEP. Therefore there is a need for regular training and education to update the awareness and knowledge about post exposure prophylaxis which serves as an effective strategy to prevent the spread of blood borne disease.