[Knowledge and adherence to bio-safety measures and biological accidents by nursing students during their clinical practice].
OBJECTIVE
To identify the degree of knowledge and performance of bio-safety measures by nursing students and knowing the type of biological accidents suffered during their clinical practice.


METHODS
A cross-sectional study was conducted on the students of three Nursing courses held in May of 2008. Data was collected by an anonymous self-administered questionnaire, with a return of 54%.


RESULTS
A total of 97% of students seemed to know the standard biosafety measures, and all of them (100%) stated that those measures must be applied to every patient. However, the reality of clinical practice shows that biosafety measures are only partially applied. An average of 60.2% implement the personal hygiene measures, 66.1% use physical barriers, and 44% use sharp materials safely. Around 32.25% of the students have suffered some biological accident, with a greater incidence in the second year: administering injections (24%), drawing blood samples with Venojet needles (18%) and recapping used needles (17%).


CONCLUSIONS
The high level of knowledge shown by the students on standard precautions is not always shown in clinical practice. There are significant deficiencies in student safety practices: recapping of used needles continues to be one of the most common risk practices carried out.
Merino-de la Hoz
Felicitas
F
Departamento de Enfermería, Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, España. merinof@unican.es
Durá-Ros
María Jesús
MJ
Rodríguez-Martín
Elías
E
González-Gómez
Silvia
S
Mariano López-López
Luis
L
Abajas-Bustillo
Rebeca
R
de la Horra-Gutiérrez
Inmaculada
I
D000062:Accidents, Occupational / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000592:standards*; D013338:Students, Nursing; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires