Knowledge, attitude, and factors influencing health care (HCW) waste management among nurses in selected hospitals in Abeokuta, Ogun State

Abstract

Healthcare wastes (HCWs) are one of the most hazardous wastes globally; second to only radiation waste. In developing countries especially in Africa, healthcare waste has not received the much needed attention that it deserves. This is because of the inadequate resources in these countries resulting into low priority for HCW management. The objectives of the study assess nurses' knowledge about, find out nurses' attitude towards HCW management and identify the factors influencing HCW management among nurses in selected hospitals in Abeokuta, Ogun State. A cross-sectional non experimental descriptive survey design and convenient sampling technique was employed. Self developed instrument with 32 items was distributed among 129 eventually 120 correctly retrieved among nurses who are directly involved in generation and disposal of healthcare waste in the State hospital ijaiye and Oba Ademola II hospital, Ake Abeokuta. Data collected were analyzed using Statistical package of social science (SPSS) version 2.0 and presented with percentage and frequency tables. All the three (3) research questions were answered based on the findings of the study which can be deduced that revealed that majority (75.0%) of the respondents have high knowledge on HCW management while only few (25.0%) of them have low knowledge on it. Majorities (88.3%) of the respondents have positive attitude toward health care waste management while only few (11.7%) of them have negative attitude toward it. About factors influencing HCW management among respondents almost all (99.2%) of the factors have high impact and influence on health care waste management while only few (0.8%) of the factors is of low impact on HCW among respondents. According to the findings it is therefore recommended that Nurses should further improve their knowledge as regards the various forms of colour coding waste segregation beyond what is utilized in their health institution, healthcare waste inspectors must be introduced into the health sector for close monitoring of improper healthcare waste management. Conclusively, Nurses still need to brush up their understanding about certain aspect like location or sites to correctly carry out treatment and disposal of HCW and the extensive colour coding segregation system of HCW not just three colour.