Knowledge and attitudes on health-care waste management among nursing professionals at Lira Regional Referral Hospital, Northern Uganda
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Date
2019-06
Authors
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Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Kampala International University, School of Health Sciences
Abstract
The knowledge and attitude of nurses on effective and efficient methods of health care waste management is extremely important if serious health hazards to health care service providers and people living in the vicinity of these health units are to be avoided. The main objective of this study was to describe the level of knowledge and attitude of nurses in Lira Regional Referral Hospital regarding health care waste management. The study design was qualitative, descriptive cross sectional on knowledge and attitude of 50 nurses chosen by systematic sampling method. The findings established that the level of knowledge among nurses in the hospital was high, 98% knew about health care waste management and 56% acknowledged the presence of waste management policy documents in various wards and units of the hospital. The study findings also revealed that nurses had a positive attitude towards health care waste management in the hospital with 94.0%, supporting nurses’ involvement in the waste management. It was concluded that nurses in Lira Regional Referral Hospital were knowledgeable and had a positive attitude towards Health care waste management. The study recommended that the management in Lira Regional Referral Hospital should ensure strict adherence to relevant waste management regulations and provide all resources needed. The positive attitude towards waste management portrayed by the nurses should be maintained by the hospital management through regular sensitization of staff on health care waste management policies, motivation of staff and refresher courses (workshops and seminars) on health care waste management
Description
A research report submitted to the Faculty of Clinical Medicine and Dentistry in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of a degree of Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery of Kampala International University
Keywords
Health-care waste management, Nursing professionals, Lira Regional Referral Hospital, Northern Uganda