ObjectiveTo understand the current situation of occupational exposure and occupational protection of nursing interns, to provide a reference for taking intervention measures and reducing occupational exposure. MethodsA total of 408 nursing interns who practiced in our hospital from January to December 2019 were selected as the research subjects, employing the self-designed questionnaire to investigate the occurrence, types, occurrence reasons of occupational exposure, and the cognitive levels and condition of occupational protection. The conditions mentioned above were described, and the differences were compared between the undergraduate interns and specialist nursing interns. ResultsThe overall incidence of occupational exposure among nursing interns was 41.42%, among which the incidence of undergraduate nursing interns was 37.71%, the incidence of specialist nursing interns was 51.35%, and the incidence of occupational exposure among the undergraduate nursing interns was significantly lower than that among the specialists nursing interns, with statistically significant differences (P＜0.05). Among the 169 nursing interns who experienced occupational exposure, 61 cases were injured by contaminated needle sticks, accounting for 36.09%; 41 cases were injured by contaminated sharp objects, for 24.26%; 28 cases were injured by ampoule, for 16.57%; 21 cases were exposed to blood and body fluid splashing, for 12.43%; 18 cases belonged to other occupational exposure, for 10.65%. Compared with the specialist nursing interns, the undergraduate nursing interns obtained a significantly lower incidence of occupational exposure in contaminated needle sticks and sharp objects, with a statistically significant difference (P＜0.05). Among the 169 nursing interns who experienced occupational exposure, 45 cases of occupational exposure due to insufficient protection knowledge, accounting for 26.63%; 44 cases of occupational exposure due to lack of experience, for 26.04%; 35 cases of occupational exposure due to unskilled manipulation, for 20.71%; 24 cases of occupational exposure due to heavy workload, for 14.20%; 21 cases of occupational exposure due to irregular operations, for 12.43%. The incidence of occupational exposure due to insufficient protection knowledge among the undergraduate nursing interns was significantly lower than that among the specialist nursing interns, with a statistically significant difference (P＜0.05). The pass rate of cognitive levels of occupational protection among nursing interns was 79.66%. The undergraduate nursing interns obtained a higher pass rate of cognitive levels of occupational protection, accurate rate of procedure of occupational exposure, and vaccine rate of hepatitis B as compared with the specialist nursing interns, with statistically significant differences (P＜0.05). ConclusionNursing interns have a high risk of occupational exposure. The incidence, types, occurrence reasons of occupational exposure, and cognitive levels, conditions of occupational protection of undergraduate nursing interns are different from those of specialist nursing interns. Occupational safety education and management should be strengthened, the cognitive levels of occupational exposure and protection should be improved, and the procedures of occupational exposure and protection should be standardized, which can effectively reduce the occurrence of occupational exposure in nursing interns.

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