Data_Sheet_1_Evaluating occupational exposures of dental nurses: A retrospective study.PDF

ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to investigate occupational blood-borne pathogen exposure among dental nurses and their attitudes toward infected patients, as well as the effectiveness of the training course, to provide a scientific basis for improving the quality of safety management in the dental hospital.
Materials and methodsThe study was conducted using questionnaires administered from November 2019 to December 2019 in three hospitals in Sichuan Province, China. Frequencies for answers were calculated and presented as percentages.
ResultsIn total, 257 valid questionnaires were returned. Most (61.9%) nurses stated that they were involved in occupational exposure. Among them, 154 had experienced sharp injuries, and the syringe needle was the most common instrument for injuries (45.8%). Twenty-two individuals had mucosal exposure, and the proportion of eye exposure was the highest (90.9%). Only associations between training and mucosal membrane exposure were found; however, the relevance was weak (r = 0.141). Of the participants, 86.4% felt morally responsible for taking care of patients with infectious diseases, and most (92.6%) said they would continue with this career.
ConclusionOccupational exposure, particularly to sharp injuries, was common in medical care among dental nurses; however, vocational training had little effect on their incidence. As dental nurses still have positive attitudes toward patients with infectious diseases, more effective training should be conducted.

研究目的：本研究旨在调查牙科护士职业性血源性病原体暴露（occupational blood-borne pathogen exposure）发生情况、其对感染患者的态度，以及相关培训课程的实施效果，以期为提升牙科医院安全管理质量提供科学依据。
材料与方法：本研究于2019年11月至12月在中国四川省三家医院开展，采用问卷调查法进行数据收集。研究对问卷作答频次进行统计，并以百分比形式呈现结果。
研究结果：本研究共回收有效问卷257份。其中61.9%的护士报告曾发生职业暴露。在发生职业暴露的护士中，154人曾遭遇锐器伤，注射器针头为最常见致伤器具（占比45.8%）；另有22人发生黏膜暴露，其中眼部黏膜暴露占比最高（90.9%）。本研究仅发现培训与黏膜暴露之间存在微弱关联（相关系数r=0.141）。参与调研的护士中，86.4%的人认为照料传染病患者是自身应尽的道德责任，92.6%的受访者表示会继续从事本职业。
研究结论：牙科护士在临床诊疗工作中职业暴露（尤其是锐器伤）较为常见，但职业培训对降低其暴露发生率的作用有限。鉴于牙科护士对传染病患者仍保持积极的照护态度，未来应开展更具实效的职业培训。