Assessment of Injection Safety Awareness and Practice among Healthcare Workers: A Cross-Sectional Study at Cyrene Teaching Hospital in Shahhat, Libya

Abstract

Needlestick injuries (NSIs) are a main occupational risk for health care workers (HCWs), especially nurses, who are frequently exposed to blood and other potential infections such as hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Injection safety remains an unrecognised concern in many low- and middle-income countries, while evidence on injection practice in Libyan hospitals remains limited. To assess the level of awareness and the practice regarding injection safety and to identify the factors associated with injection safety among the health care Staff working in Cyrene Teaching Hospital, Shahat City, Libya. A cross-sectional study was carried out in Cyrene Teaching Hospital from July 2025 to October 2025. A sample size of 90 medical laboratory technicians and Nursing was selected randomly. A questionnaire and observation checklist were used to gather the information. Nursing and medical laboratory technician education, work experience, and training on injection safety. A significant amount of valuable information was obtained from a total of 90 0f health staff, as shown. The plurality of participants (53.3%) the highest proportion wase observed among individuals aged 20–29 years, followed by 22.2% among those aged 30–39 years, 16.7% among those aged 40–49 years and 7.8% in the 50– 59-year group. The mean age of the sharers is 31.94 years with a standard deviation of 9.434, showing that most of the sample is relatively young. The study found a good baseline level of awareness regarding the risk of disease transmission through needlestick injuries, with two-thirds (66.7%) of participants confirming this knowledge. More than half of the participants (54.4%) lacked awareness of the correct post-exposure prophylaxis procedures immediately following a potential exposure. Furthermore, the results demonstrated a statistically significant relationship between Educational Qualification and awareness of transmitted diseases (P = 0.039). Healthcare staff with a higher academic qualification (BScN, laboratory specialists) demonstrated better awareness scores compared to those with a professional diploma (PBN).