Intensive Care Nurses’ Knowledge of Radiation Safety and Their Behaviors Towards Portable Radiological Examinations

Abstract

Background:Radiological examinations for patients who are hospitalized at intensive care units are usually performed using portable radiography devices. However they may require knowledge and safety precautions of nurses.Objectives:The aim of the study was to investigate ICU nurses’ knowledge of radiation safety and their behaviors towards portable radiological examinations.Materials and Methods:In total, 44 intensive care nurses were recruited for this cross-sectional descriptive study using census sampling during April and May 2014. The study setting was at intensive care units of Shahid Beheshti Hospital of Kashan, Iran. An eleven-item questionnaire and a five-item checklist were used for evaluating nurses’ radiation protection knowledge and behaviors, respectively. An expert panel consisting of ten nursing and radiology faculty members confirmed the content validity of the questionnaire and the checklist. Moreover, a Geiger-Müller counter was used for measuring ionizing radiation during portable radiological examinations. Study data were analyzed using the SPSS software version 13.0. Mean, standard deviation, frequency and one-sample t test were used for description of the data. The level of significance was set at below 0.05.Results:The mean of participants’ radiation protection knowledge was 4.77 ± 1.38. The most prevalent radiation protection behavior of nurses was leaving the intensive care unit during portable radiological examinations. Only 6.8% of nurses stayed at the nursing station during radiological examinations. The highest dose of radiation was 0.11 micro Sievert per hour (μSv/h), which was much lower than the highest permitted level of radiation exposure i.e. 0.25 μSv/h.Conclusions:Portable radiological examinations did not expose healthcare providers to high doses of ionizing radiation. Nurses’ radiation protection knowledge was limited and hence, they require in-service education programs.

Medical radiation workers' knowledge, attitude, and practice to protect themselves against ionizing radiation in Tehran Province, Iran

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Radiation Exposure to Staff in Intensive Care Unit with Portable CT Scanner

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“…Most health care professionals are aware of the fact that all sources of radiation are harmful and stay as far away as possible from the machines while scanning [11]. Excessive precaution may cause damage to the health of critically ill patients.…”

Investigation on Safety Knowledge, Attitude, and Performance (Safety-KAP) Among Firefighters of Operating Units in Tehran

“…Amiri et al (2), indicated that considering the necessity of desired knowledge and positive attitude toward conflict management and its role on aware performance of managers in this field, it can be stated that conducting training courses in this field for managers and creating necessary skills in using conflict management techniques can play an effective role in the efficiency and productivity of the organization. Dianati et al (5), showed in a research study that high education level increases the knowledge. In order to raise the level of knowledge of radiation workers, it is better to hold a re-training course on radiation protection.…”

“…The expertise and skills of firefighters in carrying out their duties requires continuous training and knowledge of the occupational skills that they must pay attention to, in addition, this preparation must always be maintained at a high level (7). Training is of essential and continuous activity for the adaptation of manpower with chang-ing organizational and environmental conditions and is a tool that helps managers in case of organizational duties by means of various techniques and methods (5). Creating a desirable function is possible through the training and promotion of human resource capabilities to a large extent.…”