Iran Journal of Nursing

  Background and Aims: Health workers are threatened by injuries caused by the insertion of sharp medical devices (Needle Stick Injury) contaminated with patients َ ' blood and body fluids. The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of a multimedia training program on the incidence of occupational exposure of nurses to contaminated sharp tools in a university hospital in 2009.

  Material and Methods: In an experimental study, 120 volunteer nurses, working in a university hospital was randomly assigned to either experimental group or control group. The experimental group received a multimedia training program for prevention of exposure during two weeks but the control group did not receive any training. All subjects completed the occupational exposure and knowledge questionnaires during 4 months before and 4 months after intervention. After data collection, mean standard deviation, paired t-test and chi-square were used for data analysis. Significant level of P< 0.05 was accepted.

  Results: in the experimental group, the incidence of occupational exposure to contaminated sharp tools decreased (p<0.05) but in the control group, this change was not significant (p>0.05). Also the mean score for knowledge in the experimental group improved significantly from 8.05 to 14.1(p<0.05) but the increase in the mean score of knowledge in control group from 8.30 to 8.98 (p=0.33) was not significant.

  Conclusion: The knowledge and performance of the experimental group regarding occupational exposure to contaminated sharp tools improved. Continuous education is recommended.