Needle Stick Injury among Nurses in a Tertiary Care Hospital of Gurgaon: An Explorative Study

Needle stick injury is one of the most common forms of occupational hazards in a hospital setting. HIV, HBV and HCV are the three most common infections that can be propagated through this route. Nursing staff of a hospital are the most vulnerable group to this form of occupational hazard. In this study, 100 nurses of a tertiary care hospital were selected to calculate the prevalence of needle stick injury and also the awareness of the staff regarding needle stick injuries. The prevalence of needle stick injury was about 68%. The use of gloves during IV access and other procedures was seen only in 47% of the participants. The most common mode of injury was during recapping of needle followed by IV access/IM injections. The present study showed the prevalence of needle stick injury to be quite high. Proper training of healthcare providers regarding techniques to prevent needle stick injuries is the need of the hour.