Safety Measures to Prevent Occupational Health Hazards among Nurses Working in Emergency Units

Abstract

Abstract Occupational health nursing is concerned with the nursing component of comprehensive occupational health care and contributes health promotion and protection. The occupational health hazards are high risk in emergency work place. Nurse's work in emergency unit suffers from more serious injuries and fatalities than the general workforce nurses. Aim of this study: This study was aimed to evaluate the effect of nursing intervention on improving safety measures among nurses working in emergency units to prevent occupational health hazards. Design: Quasi-experimental design was applied to achieve the aim of the study. Setting: this study was conducted in emergency units of Ain Shams University hospitals which contain two emergency units (medical and surgical emergency units). Sample: purposive sample included all nurses (37) working in emergency units of Ain Shams University hospitals. Tools: Data were collected through two tools: First tool: A self-administered questionnaire, it was developed to assess general characteristic of nurses, medical history, exposure to occupational hazards, their knowledge related to occupational hazards and safety measures. Second tool: was an observational check list to assess nurse's compliance to safety measures. Results: This result showed highly significant improvement in knowledge regarding occupational hazards, safety measures and compliance of nurses working in emergency units after implementation of nursing intervention. Conclusion: According to the finding and research hypothesis, there was a highly significant difference between nurse's total knowledge related to occupational hazards and safety measures and their compliance to safety measures pre and post implementation of the nursing intervention program. And there were highly significant relation between nurse's knowledge related to occupational hazards and safety measures and their compliance to safety measures. Recommendation: The study recommended that continuous training to renew and improve nurses' knowledge and compliance to safety measures.