Knowledge, Attitudes and Perceptions of Nurses Regarding Occupational Health Hazards in Tertiary Care Hospitals of Pakistan

Abstract

OBJECTIVE To assess the knowledge attitude and perception of Nurses about Occupational hazards. METHODOLOGY A descriptive cross-sectional study design using a sample of 250 registered nurses was selected at Jinnah and Mayo Hospital Lahore. A Non-Probability convenient sampling was used. Data was analyzed with the help of SPSS software (version 21).  The data was presented in a form of descriptive statistics (Frequencies and percentages), tables and graphs were used. The association of Demographic factors with the Knowledge, attitude, and perceptions of nurses regarding occupational hazards was tested through Chi square. RESULTS Majority of the respondents were having good knowledge about occupational hazards (60.8%), while 39.2% had poor knowledge about occupational hazards. The positive attitude towards the occupational hazards and safety measure was among 58%, whereas 32% were found to have negative attitude. The awareness and attitude of nurses regarding occupational hazards was significantly associated with their working experience, education level and marital status (P. Value<0.05). CONCLUSION The level of knowledge, attitude and perception towards occupational hazards was varying with education and experience. There is need to introduce some educational sessions for the nurses about the safety measures and management against occupational hazards.