Factors affecting student nurses’ attitudes towards the safe use of sharps

Abstract

Background

In the healthcare sector, the most common injuries include needle sticks and injuries from sharp objects. Consistent with nurses and other healthcare personnel, nursing students are similarly vulnerable to these occupational hazards during their clinical training.

Objective

This study aimed to assess nursing students’ attitudes toward the safe use of sharp medical instruments and to identify the factors influencing these attitudes.

Methods

This analytical cross-sectional study was conducted with a population of 680 student nurses, of whom 415 participated as the study sample at a university in western Türkiye. Descriptive characteristics were summarized using frequencies, percentages, and descriptive statistics.

Results

Most student nurses expressed concerns regarding sharps injuries. 23.6% reported experiencing sharps-related injuries, and only 50% reported the incident. The mean attitude score towards the safe use of sharps was 114.57 ± 10.96. A statistically significant association (p < 0.05) between gender, Grade Point Average (GPA), and attitudes toward sharps safety. Female students and students with a “good/excellent” GPA had higher sharps-safety attitude scores compared to male students and those with an “average” GPA.

Conclusions

The findings revealed that student nurses generally demonstrated safe sharps-handling practices. Female students and those with higher GPAs exhibited significantly safer sharps usage. These results highlight the need for structured training programs to enhance student nurses’ knowledge and awareness of sharps injuries before clinical placements and throughout practice. Additionally, institutional guidelines on sharps-injury prevention should be updated in line with current evidence, and adherence to these protocols should be monitored by mentor nurses or clinical instructors.