Predicting needlestick and sharps injuries in nursing students: Development of the SNNIP scale.

Aim: To develop an instrument to investigate knowledge and predictive factors of needlestick and sharps injuries (NSIs) in nursing students during clinical placements. Design: Instrument development and cross-sectional study for psychometric testing. Methods: A self-administered instrument including demographic data, injury epidemiology and predictive factors of NSIs was developed between October 2018-January 2019. Content validity was assessed by a panel of experts. The instrument's factor structure and discriminant validity were explored using principal components analysis. The STROBE guidelines were followed. Results: Evidence of content validity was found (S-CVI 0.75; I-CVI 0.50-1.00). A three-factor structure was shown by exploratory factor analysis. Of the 238 participants, 39% had been injured at least once, of which 67.3% in the second year. Higher perceptions of "personal exposure" (4.06, SD 3.78) were reported by third-year students. Higher scores for "perceived benefits" of preventive behaviours (13.6, SD 1.46) were reported by second-year students.

The appropriateness of cannulation devices in the management AVF.

Hemodialysis cannulation is often done with a notoriously harmful device that also exposes operators to a high risk of accidental puncture. It is very interesting to look at the Japanese experience, that has introduced, with an excellent success rate, a new device for the cannulation of FAV: a plastic cannula. The aim of this review is to verify if the literature describes any advantages in the use of the plastic cannula in hemodialysis compared to the traditional metal needle, in relation to mechanical and hemodynamic vascular trauma, treatment adequacy, patient comfort and operator safety. The study has been conducted by researching, reviewing and selecting scientific articles through search engines and specialized journals. The peculiarities of the device's design allow to expand the current possibilities in the practice of cannulation, producing positive outcomes for the patient and the operator. There is a need, however, for further studies and an update of device's features.