Knowledge and Practices of Universal Precautions among Qualifying Nursing Students

Abstract

Appropriate knowledge and practices of universal precautions for health care professioinals is mandatory for safe health care milieu. The study has been conducted with the objective of assessing knowledge and practices of qualifying nursing students. The study was conducted among 128 final year nursing students at one of the nursing college of North India. Only 13.3% of the students had good knowledge regarding universal precautions. Nearly 70% of the students reported wearing gloves always while caring for patients. Hand washing was practiced quite frequently by nursing students. Recapping of needles was practiced by about 60% of the students. The topic of universal precautions which is taught to the students’ right in the first year of their training requires periodic reinforcement and supervision by nursing educators

Keywords: Universal precautions, nursing students, knowledge, practices