Prevalence, knowledge, and awareness of needle stick injuries among nursing students in Palestine and associated factors.

Background: Student nurses are vulnerable to blood-borne infections from needle stick injuries (NSIs) during clinical training. To stay safe from the threats, they; must comprehend every facet of NSIs. The study's objectives were to determine the level; of knowledge among student nurses about NSIs and to examine their prevalence and; prevention strategies in Palestine.

Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional design was employed on a sample of 449 student nurses through an online anonymous survey between February 20, 2024, and March 20, 2024. The three questionnaire parts assessed the demographics of the students, the nurses' knowledge of NSIs, their exposure to NSIs, and their use of preventative measures. The data; were analyzed using SPSS Version 26.

Results: A total of 449 students answered the questionnaire; 345 (76.8 %) were female and their average age was 21.08 (SD = 2.47) years. Out of ten, the average score for total knowledge was 7.04 (SD = 1.51). Nearly 105 students (23.4 %) reported having been exposed to NSIs at least once and most of them were junior students 67 (63.8 %). Of these, 69.5 % happened in open hospital units, while the technique of withdrawing blood caused 41.9 % of NSIs, and 67.6 % of students didn't report the incident of injury.

Conclusion: Training programs are necessary to reduce the risk of blood-borne disease transmission and improve workplace safety for nursing students. Clinical nursing administrators should create practical plans to lower the incidence of NSIs.