Revista Latino-Americana de Enfermagem (Jan 2016)

What is the perception of biological risk by undergraduate nursing students?

  • Mª Carmen Moreno-Arroyo,
  • Montserrat Puig-Llobet,
  • Anna Falco-Pegueroles,
  • Maria Teresa Lluch-Canut,
  • Irma Casas García,
  • Juan Roldán-Merino

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1590/1518-8345.0722.2715
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 24, no. 0

Abstract

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Abstract Objective: to analyze undergraduate nursing students' perception of biological risk and its relationship with their prior practical training. Method: a descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among undergraduate nursing students enrolled in clinical practice courses in the academic year 2013-2014 at the School of Nursing at the University of Barcelona. Variables: sociodemographic variables, employment, training, clinical experience and other variables related to the assessment of perceived biological risk were collected. Both a newly developed tool and the Dimensional Assessment of Risk Perception at the worker level scale (Escala de Evaluación Dimensional del Riesgo Percibido por el Trabajador, EDRP-T) were used. Statistical analysis: descriptive and univariate analysis were used to identify differences between the perception of biological risk of the EDRP-T scale items and sociodemographic variables. Results: students without prior practical training had weaker perceptions of biological risk compared to students with prior practical training (p=0.05 and p=0.04, respectively). Weaker perceptions of biological risk were found among students with prior work experience. Conclusion: practical training and work experience influence the perception of biological risk among nursing students.

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