Knowledge attitude and practice regarding prevention of needle stick injuries among nursing students in Henan province, China.

Nursing students are more vulnerable to needle stick injuries (NSIs) among all the nurses due to lack of work experience and poor awareness of occupational protection. A cross-sectional study of 400 nursing students was carried out to assess the participants' knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding prevention of NSIs. The results indicated that 67% of nursing students suffered at least one NSI during their internship. The most common causes of injury were the injection process, venous catheter management process, and the process of disposal of all kinds of needle waste. Intentionally breaking the needle after injection, capping needles, and separating the needle from the syringe by hand are the risk factors for NSIs among nursing students. It is necessary to develop and increase occupational safety protection courses and establish regulations for the prevention of NSIs.