Occupational hazard preventive measures among nurses in a nigerian tertiary health institution

Abstract

Introduction: The health of people in a work place is as important as the work they do and this focuses on public health. Nurses are faced with risk of occupational hazards, hence the need for use of personal protective equipment (PPE). This study examined occupational hazard preventive measures among nurses in a Nigerian tertiary health institution. Method: this study adopted descriptive cross sectional research design using structured questionnaire for data collection. Two hundred and ninety-two (292) questionnaires were distributed but only 264 were retrieved among which 220 were completely filled and therefore included in data analysis. Simple random sampling was used to select study participants. Ethical approval was obtained from UI/UCH ethical committee before data collection. Data software package was used for data analysis. Results: The findings of this study showed that about two third (66%) of nurses working in the facility have good knowledge of occupational hazard. Respondents confirmed the availability of PPE (79.1%) and occupational health services (83.6%) in their work place. However, physical (99%), chemical (97.7%) and biological (95.5%) hazards were identified as the three commonest forms of hazard been exposed. Also, gloves (99%), goggle (99.5%), gown (99.5%) and face-mask (99.5%) were identified as mostly used PPE. Overall, 163(74%) nurses practise good preventive strategies. Negligence and poor accessibility were mentioned as factors affecting use of PPE. Conclusion: The study concluded that despite good knowledge of occupational hazards among nurses, many of them don’t use PPE due to lack of organizational policies. It is therefore imperative for health institutions to ensure use of PPE to reduce risk of occupational hazard among nurses.