ackground: Emergency nurses are at risk of blood-borne infection as they are often exposed to blood and potential infections. The purpose of this study was to identify knowledge of blood-borne infections, awareness and compliance on infection control, and predictors of compliance with infection control among nurses in emergency rooms. Methods: Participants (N=169) in emergency rooms were recruited in B city from September 26 to October 26, 2012. The emergency nurses’ knowledge levels on blood-borne infections and awareness and compliance on infection control were retrospectively investigated. Results: The significant predictors of compliance on blood-borne infection control among emergency nurses were use of personal protective equipment (β=0.28, P＜0.001), awareness on blood-borne infection control (β = 0.28, P＜0.001), confirmation of whether patients suffered from blood-borne infections prior to nursing care (β=0.26, P＜0.001), experience in infection control education (β=0.16, P=0.022), and history of blood exposure (β=−0.14, P=0.040). Conclusion: The results showed that in addition to improving nurses’ personal efforts to prevent blood-borne infections, systematic support in medical administration is needed; this may include preparing standardized assessment forms to distinguish patients with blood-borne infections at the first hospital visit and increasing use of personal protective equipment for blood-borne infection control.

Keywords: Blood borne, Emergency, Infection control, Nurse