Biomedical Undergraduate Students in Israa University, Palestine.

Maher Elbayoumi*1, Abdel Fattah A. Qaraman1
1- Energy and Sustainable Environment Center, School of Engineering, Israa University, Gaza, Palestine.

Purpose: Health-care students including Biomedical students are at occupational risk of exposure to blood-borne viruses (BBV) following needle sticks and sharp injuries (NSIs) due to lack of proper knowledge regarding laboratory safety measures, indifferent attitude & improper implementation of safe laboratory practices. In view of this, the present study on knowledge, Attitude & Practice (KAP) of laboratory safety measures was carried out among biomedical undergraduate students in Israa University, Palestine. A standardized, structured self-administered questionnaire to survey knowledge, attitude, and practice was carried. Of 90 biomedical students that responded to the questionnaire (response rate of 92.8 % percent), 16 (17.8%) were males and 74 (82.2%) were females, 16 (17.8%) were 4th-year students, and 42 (46.7%) from 1st-year students. Of the total sample, 28.9% of students had experienced sharp instrument injuries and 40% of students didn’t have Hepatitis B vaccination. Regarding laboratory safety knowledge and attitude, the majority were very much aware of chemical hazards, physical hazards, and the importance of personal protective equipment (PPE). In regard to the practice in the laboratory, most study subject groups showed a good quality work except dealing with personal hygiene issues and Needle Stick Incidents. About 45.8 % of the respondents did not follow the Needle stick/Sharps Injuries protocols. Despite a comprehensive educational and training program for biomedical students, knowledge of injuries and associated issues remained inadequate. The study recommended that a university needs to create a specialized department to design and follow up the occupational safety, focus on training students to promote awareness and develop their skills.