Assessment of Nurses' Awareness and Knowledge of Medical Waste at Al-Diwaniyah Teaching Hospital

Abstract

Background: Medical waste management constitutes a significant global health concern, with around 15% of all healthcare waste classified as hazardous. Effective management necessitates the separation of general trash from hazardous waste and the implementation of suitable treatment protocols to avert infections, toxic repercussions, and injuries to healthcare personnel and patients.

Aim: Assessing nurses' awareness and knowledge about medical waste.

Design: Cross-Sectional descriptive study.

Setting: The population consisted of nurses working in Al-Diwaniyah Teaching Hospital and in all hospital departments.

Sample Size: The sample size was 150 nurses.

Tool of Data Collection: The structured questionnaire was used to collect data for the study, and the data were entered into the statistical program (SPSS version 26).

Results: The moderate level of awareness and knowledge, and had high awareness and information in separating and coding waste, but low awareness and information in transporting and storing medical waste.

Conclusion: Most of the nurses in the research sample acknowledged the importance of safe and sound medical waste management to avoid hospital-acquired infections and thus achieve occupational safety.

Recommendations: Involving nurses working in the hospital in training courses within continuing medical education in order to raise the level of nurses’ awareness and knowledge in waste management. And providing coded containers according to medical waste management policies, special places, safe transportation methods, and safe disposal methods for medical waste and develop national guidelines that clarify the importance of medical and establish a monitoring system.