Determination of the Extent of Injection Practice and Its Safety Among Young Nursing Professionals

Abstract

Injection administration is one of the most frequently performed healthcare procedures globally. However, unsafe injection practices place healthcare providers and recipients at substantial risk of avoidable harm, particularly needle-stick injuries and the transmission of blood-borne pathogens such as Hepatitis B virus (HBV), Hepatitis C virus (HCV), and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). This study evaluated the extent of injection practice and its safety among young nursing professionals (student nurses). The primary objective was to determine their knowledge level, practical adherence, and systemic barriers to safe injection practices. A cross-sectional descriptive survey design was employed for this investigation. A convenience sample of 160 student nurses (2nd- and 3rd-year) at the College of Nursing Sciences, Bishop Shanahan Specialist Hospital, Nsukka, Enugu State, participated in the study. Data were collected using a structured, face- and content-validated questionnaire (reliability coefficient r = 0.90 via test-retest) and analyzed using frequency tables and percentages. Results revealed that 68.75% (110/160) of respondents correctly identified the comprehensive World Health Organization definition of injection safety, and 87.50% (140/160) recognized that unsafe practices increase the risk of blood-borne viral infections. On practical compliance, 96.25% (154/160) prepared injections in a clean environment and 62.50% (100/160) adhered to non-recapping guidelines. However, severe procedural breaches were identified: 93.75% (150/160) failed to disinfect medication vial septa before piercing, 96.25% (154/160) did not enter multidose vials with new needles and syringes each time, and 91.25% (146/160) combined leftover contents of single-use vials. Major reported barriers included emergency work pressure (97.50%), heavy clinical workloads and time constraints (93.75%), limited simulation training opportunities (91.25%), and non-availability of safety-engineered devices (88.75%). Applications of these findings include strengthening pre-clinical simulation training, enforcing standard hospital safety protocols, providing adequate safety commodities, and optimizing nurse-to-patient staffing ratios to foster a safety-first culture in clinical education.