Occupational exposure to blood and body fluids among nursing students in clinical internship

Background. During their academic activities, nursing students are required to carry out clinical internships during which they can be exposed to contamination by bloodborne pathogens. Objective. The study was carried out to determine the prevalence and associated factors of occupational exposure to biological material potentially infected by blood in a population of nursing students. Materials and Methods. A cross-sectional design was used in this study and a self administered questionnaire was provided to students. The research work was conducted from February 20, 2022, to March 15, 2022. Results. The questionnaire was completed by 119 students. A total of 94 (78.99%) of the participants were female with a mean age of 20.46±1.16 years. 48 (40.34%) exposures were recorded with corresponding incidence rates of 0.4 exposures/person/year. With at least one accidental exposure to blood in 21 (43.75%) students. The OR analysis made by year of study showed that the ratio between the exposure risk was lower than 1 with P>0.05. The comparison between the different nursing specialties showed a significant difference between the students of General Nurses and Family and Community Health Nurses. The variables associated with exposures to blood were: female sex and personal protective equipment. Conclusions. During their clinical training, nursing students face several types of risks including biological through blood. In order to prevent the occurrence of these incidents, the consequences of which can be fatal, it is necessary to invest in training sessions and our institute should set up a local management unit for following the exposed students.