Background: Healthcare workers are exposed to a range of factors related to diseases as well as infectious organisms. They are also ex-posed to needlestick injuries (NSIs) due to a lack of common and un-certain reporting system. The NSIs are a potential hazard for healthcare workers that were recognized as a serious risk factor for transmitting diseases by exposure to needlesticks contaminated with blood-borne pathogens.
Aim: The aim of the present study was to determine the frequency and occurrence of NSIs and determinants in nursing care in selected hospitals in Jordan.
Methods: This study used a cross-sectional design. It was conducted in 2 types of Jordanian hospitals: governmental and private. A total of 210 Jordanian nurses were recruited to participate in the study. Data were collected using a questionnaire that included demographic variables, NSIs during work, and causes.
Results: Results showed that the mean (SD) age of participants was 32.4 (7.21) years. Approximately 67% of the participants had less than 5 years of experience. Most of the participants (75.5%) had an NSI.
Sixty-one percent did not attend any training program about infection control; 12.2% had a positive immune status (Hepatitis B surface anti-gen, anti-Hepatitis C virus, and anti-human immunodef iciency virus), and 48% did not know it. More than half of the injuries (53%) to nurses occurred during recapping of a needle. Forty-seven percent of injured nurses did not report the injury to anyone. Approximately half of the nurses (48%) did not report (NSIs) to anyone, do not want to admit NSI to a supervisor, and were not concerned about NSI either.
Conclusions: The frequency of NSIs among nursing care workers is high, and reporting is low. It needs to be further investigated. Special in-terventions such as in-service training of nurses on infection control mea-sures, standardized treatment after exposure, and follow-up are necessary.