ENVIRONMENTAL HIV/HBV RISK FACTORS RELATED TO PERCUTANEOUS AND MUCOCUTANEOUS EXPOSURE INCIDENTS IN NURSING STUDENTS (IMMUNE DEFICIENCY).
Contributors: George Mason University.
Published: 1995
Number of pages: 199
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.; Health Sciences, Occupational Health and Safety.
Description: This descriptive study utilized a self-selected sample of 580 newly licensed Virginia registered nurses to examine selected physical and psychosocial environmental risk factors for percutaneous (needlestick) and mucocutaneous (splash) exposure incidents that occurred while they were nursing students. Data collection and analysis were driven by a researcher developed model adapted from the epidemiological "wheel" model of disease causation.

Percutaneous and mucocutaneous exposure incidents occurred to newly licensed Virginia nursing students at a rate of 4.4 per 100 student years, and percutaneous exposure incidents occurred at a rate of 2.6 per 100 student years. Resultant Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections were not documented by respondents. However, the true infectious disease outcome is unknown because of incidents that were not reported when they occurred and because of post-exposure follow-up for reported incidents that fell short of Occupational Safety and Health Administration guidelines.

Few differences were evident in recalled infection control content in nursing school curricula and HIV/HBV administrative policies between respondents who experienced exposure incidents and those who did not. However, this study provided evidence that many respondents were unaware of HIV/HBV policies in their schools of nursing. This perceived lack of policy may have influenced the sub-optimal post-exposure follow-up reported by respondents.

In this study, 20 of 31 percutaneous exposure incidents were potentially preventable through use of safety engineered devices. Similarly, 4 of 10 mucocutaneous exposure incidents occurring during routine procedures were potentially preventable through use of personal protective equipment. The importance of limited use of safety strategies in the occurrence of nursing student exposure incidents suggests that active steps by schools of nursing to ensure student access to and use of personal protective equipment and safety engineered devices may minimize exposure incident risk for students.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 56-01, Section: B, page: 0175.

Thesis (PH.D.)--GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY, 1995.

School code: 0883.