ABSTRACT:
Introduction: Needle stick injuries (NSIs) caused by sharp objects are the most important issue in exposure of healthcare workers especially nurses to blood borne pathogens. Nursing and midwifery students are highly exposed to the risks as well when they perform clinical trainings. The present study aimed to determine frequency of those injuries and associated factors among nursing and midwifery students affiliated to Kerman University of medical Sciences. Material and Methods: A cross sectional study method was conducted to recruit 190 nursing and midwifery students who were training in clinical settings. The data was collected using Shiao questionnaire including demographic factors and 25 specific questions regarding history of needle stick and sharp object injuries and associated factors as well as vaccinating against hepatitis B. All statistics were computed by the SPSS software using Chi-square and regression tests. Results: The study demonstrated that 30.1% of the students experienced the injuries during the previous year and 42.2% were exposed to minimum one injury during their university education. Needle stick injuries were the most common sort of injuries (71.6%). 33.9% of them reported the accident. The most frequent reason of not reporting was their confident of absence of any serious infection in their patients. Most of student were vaccinated against hepatitis B (93.6%). Students in their second educational year had experienced the most injuries. There was no significant difference between nursing and midwifery students also between students in their internship or earlier clinical trainings considering the frequency of injuries. Conclusion: The study indicated a relatively high rate of needle stick and sharp objects injuries among nursing and midwifery students in Studies University. Although hepatitis B vaccinations was extensively predicted, but it is recommended to instruct the students to prevent the injuries and intervene appropriately after injuries.