Knowledge, attitude and practice of nursing personnel regarding safe handling of sharps Azabu, Newmai Charachunlungliu, Gassah Comely, Anal DY Phowlhrin, Walling Imlijungla, Khiamniungan L. Hemso* Assistant Professor, Medical-Surgical Nursing, College of Nursing, Christian Institute of Health Sciences and Research (CIHSR), Dimapur, Nagaland *Corresponding Author Email: hemsolam18@gmail.com
Online published on 8 June, 2021. Abstract Introduction Handling different kinds of sharps on a daily basis as part of routine nursing activities puts the Nursing Personnel at a very high risk of sustaining injuries and thereby exposing them to various blood borne infections. This study aims to determine the Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Nursing Personnel regarding safe handling of sharps. Methods A cross-sectional study using Convenience Sampling Technique was conducted and 45 Nursing Personnel participated in the study. The setting was in selected wards of Christian Institute of Health Sciences and Research, Dimapur, Nagaland. Self-administered questionnaires, Likert scale and Observational checklist were used to assess the Knowledge, Attitude and Practice respectively. Results Majority of the participants (38%) were in the age group of 26-30 years, trained in private institutions (67%) with majority (44%) having less than 3 years of working experience. Assessment of Knowledge regarding safe handling of sharps revealed that 5% had excellent knowledge, 53% had very good knowledge, 13% had good knowledge, 22% had fair knowledge and 7% had poor knowledge. Attitude on safe handling of sharps revealed that 98% had positive attitude, 2% had neutral attitude and none had negative attitude. Assessment of Practice regarding safe handling of sharps revealed that none of the Nursing Personnel had adequate level of practice, while 62% demonstrated moderate level of practice and 38% had inadequate level of practice. There was no statistically significant association found between Knowledge, Attitude and Practice with their selected demographic variables. Discussion Majority of the Nursing Personnel having ‘very good’ knowledge regarding safe handling of sharps evinces a system of regular and extensive in-service classes focusing on safe injection practices and Universal precautions. Positive attitude of the Nursing Personnel creates an avenue for advancement of knowledge and improvement in practice through training and education. Higher knowledge level of Nursing Personnel regarding safe handling of sharps did not translate into good practice as none of the participants had adequate level of practice. Therefore, more emphasis should be given to evaluate and address issues which may be hampering the practicability of applying knowledge and learnings into actual practice. Top Keywords Knowledge, Attitude, Practice, Nursing Personnel, Sharps, Safe Handling of Sharps. Top |