Knowledge and expressed practices regarding needle stick injury among housekeeping staff: A descriptive survey

Abstract

Background: Needle stick injury (NSI) is an accidental skin penetrating wound from a hollow bore needle. It is one of the most common occupational hazards for health care workers. Aims: The study aimed to assess the level of knowledge and expressed practices regarding needle stick injuries among housekeeping staff. Setting and Design: The research design was a descriptive survey, and research was conducted on housekeeping staff employed at a tertiary care hospital. Materials and Methods: 225 housekeeping staff were selected using non-probability convenience sampling. A self-structured questionnaire and checklist were used to assess their knowledge and practices regarding needle stick injuries. SPSS was used for the analysis of data through descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: In the present study, out of 225 subjects, 11.11% of respondents had poor, 37.33% had average, 36.88% had good, and 14.66% had excellent knowledge regarding NSI. Knowledge was significantly associated with education and year of working experience. In total, 4% of the respondents had poor, 34.66% had average, 35.11% had good, and 26.22% had excellent expressed practices regarding NSI. Expressed practices were significantly associated with education and prior exposure to NSI. A moderate positive correlation was present between knowledge and expressed practices. Conclusion: The study concluded that knowledge and practices about needle stick injury were average among housekeeping staff. The areas of concern identified were: risks associated with NSIs, no use of personal protective equipment (rubber gloves), and recapping of needles. These gaps in knowledge and expressed practices can be addressed by educating them.