Performance of Safe Injection Practices by Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Nurses: Associations with Knowledge, Attitudes, and Nursing Professionalism

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to identify factors associated with safe injection practice performance among neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) nurses, focusing on safe injection practice knowledge, attitude, and nursing professionalism. Methods: This descriptive study included 120 NICU nurses from six general hospitals in Korea. Data were collected using structured self-report questionnaires from August 1, 2023, to January 30, 2024. Analyses included descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, one-way analysis of variance, the Brown-Forsythe test, Pearson's correlation coefficients, and multiple regression analysis using IBM SPSS Statistics 26.0. Results: Multiple regression analysis showed that attitude toward safe injection practices (β=.54, p<.001) and NICU experience of more than 6 years (β=.20, p=.009) were significant predictors of safe injection practice performance. These two variables accounted for 35.2% of the total variance in performance. Conclusion: Attitude toward safe injection practices and clinical experience in the NICU were key factors associated with safe injection practice performance. Educational programs and training strategies should therefore foster positive safety attitudes and support opportunities for nurses to accumulate NICU clinical experience.