Predictors of hospital nursing staff’s adherence to safe injection guidelines: application of the protection motivation theory in Fars province, Iran

Abstract

Background: Needle stick injuries (NSI) can lead to dangerous infectious diseases for health care workers. This study aimed to determine the predictors of observance of safe injection guidelines in hospital nursing staff, based on protection motivation theory. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on the nursing staff of five randomly selected teaching and general hospitals of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Fars province, Iran, in 2021. Data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire which was developed based on protection motivation theory. Data were processed and analyzed using SPSS 22 and Amos 24 at a significance level of < 0.05. Pearson’s correlation coefficient, Multiple linear regression, and Structural Equation Modeling were used. Results: The mean age of the participants (No = 280) was 32.5 ± 8.09 years. Most of the participants [80%] had encountered NSI, patients’ blood, or body fluids at least once. Protection motivation was the only predictor of protective behaviors (β = 0.573), while perceived efficacy (β = 0.142) and perceived rewards (β = -0.229) were the strongest predictors of motivation. The structural equation modeling analysis showed that standardized total effects of protection motivation, perceived response costs, rewards, and efficacy on the protective behaviors were 0.573, -0.159, -.104, and 0.81, respectively. While standardized total effects of perceived rewards, efficacy, and response cost on protection motivation were -0.229, 0.142, and -0.033, respectively. The model fit indices indicated the acceptable final model fit. Conclusion: The results suggest that perceived efficacy, perceived effectiveness, and perceived rewards were the most important predictors of adherence to Safe Injection Guidelines in nursing staff.