Knowledge and Practice of Biomedical Waste Management among Nurses at a Tertiary Level Hospital in Bangladesh
Abstract
Biomedical waste (BMW) poses significant health risks due to its potential to spread infections and environmental harm. Effective management is crucial to mitigate these risks. This study aimed to assess the knowledge and practices of senior nurses at a tertiary hospital in Bangladesh regarding BMW management. A descriptive correlational study was conducted from July 2019 to July 2020. Data were collected using validated questionnaires on sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge (14 items), and practices (13 items) related to BMW management. Statistical analyses, including descriptive statistics and bivariate analyses, were performed using SPSS. The study included 112 senior nurses with an average age of 29.26 years. Majority were female (88.4%) with basic B.Sc. or post basic B.Sc. education (59.8%). The nurses demonstrated varied levels of knowledge (low: 36.6%, moderate: 39.3%, high: 24.1%) and practices (low: 41.1%, moderate: 25.9%, high: 33.0%) regarding BMW management. A significant correlation was found with higher education level in both knowledge (p=0.024) and practice (p=0.049) levels. However, no significant correlations were observed based on age, sex, years of experience, or specific workplaces. The study highlighted gap in knowledge and practices among senior nurses regarding BMW management at the tertiary hospital. Targeted training programs and policy improvements are recommended to enhance BMW management practices, thereby reducing health risks and environmental impact associated with BMW.
References
Al Balushi, A. Y. M. D., Ullah, M. M., Makhamri, A. A. A., Al Alawi, F. S., Khalid, M., & Al Ghafri, H. M. (2018). Knowledge, attitude and practice of biomedical waste management among health care personnel in a secondary care hospital of Al Buraimi Governorate, Sultanate of Oman. Global Journal of Health Science, 10(3), 70. doi:10.5539/gjhs.v10n3p70.
Amita, A., Dhiman, A., Gautam, A., & Thakur, A. (2017). A study to assess the knowledge and practices regarding biomedical waste management among staff nurses at Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Zonal Hospital, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh. International Journal of Applied Research, 3(8), 704–708.
Anand, P., Jain, R., & Dhyani, A. (2016). Knowledge, attitude and practice of biomedical waste management among health care personnel in a teaching institution in Haryana, India. International Journal of Research in Medical Sciences, 4246–4250. doi:10.18203/2320-6012.ijrms20163115.
Anozie, O. B., Lawani, L. O., Eze, J. N., Mamah, E. J., Onoh, R. C., Ogah, E. O., … Anozie, R. O. (2017). Knowledge, attitude and practice of healthcare managers to medical waste management and occupational safety practices: Findings from southeast Nigeria. Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research: JCDR, 11(3), IC01–IC04. doi:10.7860/JCDR/2017/24230.9527
Bansod, H. S., & Deshmukh, P. (2023). Biomedical waste management and its importance: A systematic review. Cureus. doi:10.7759/cureus.34589
Bhattacharjee, S., & Saha, B. (2015). Study of Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Regarding Biomedical Waste Management Among Healthcare Personnel in Gazipur, Bangladesh. Life Sciences: An International Journal, 1(1).
Chaudhuri, S., Baidya, O., & Singh, T. (2016). Knowledge and attitude of universal precaution among nursing staff in a tertiary hospital of Manipur. International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health, 451–454. doi:10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20160430
Farhan, N. (2023). Medical waste management in Bangladesh. Retrieved April 28, 2024, from Gov.bd website: https://a2i.gov.bd/medical-waste-management-in-bangladesh/
Hasan, M. M., Ahmed, S. A., Rahman, K. A., & Biswas, T. K. (2008). Pattern of medical waste management: existing scenario in Dhaka city, Bangladesh. Bangladesh Biomed Central Limited, 8(36).
Khan, M. J., Hamza, M. A., Zafar, B., Mehmod, R., & Mushtaq, S. (2017). Knowledge, attitude and practices of health care staff regarding hospital waste handling in tertiary care hospitals of Muzaffarabad, AJK, Pakistan. International Journal of Scientific Reports, 3(7), 220. doi:10.18203/issn.2454-2156.intjscirep20173094
Kumar, P. V. S., & Padmaja, P. (2017). Knowledge, attitude, practices of biomedical waste management among nursing students and staff in a tertiary care hospital. Annals of International Medical and Dental Research, 3(4). doi: 10.21276/aimdr.2017.3.4.cm1.
Mir, M. R., & Ahmed, J. (2013). Knowledge, attitude and Practices about Biomedical Waste management among Nursing Professionals of SKIMS Medical College Hospital Bemina-A Cross Sectional study. International Journal of Nursing and Health Science, 1(5).
Mitiku, G., Admasie, A., Birara, A., & Yalew, W. (2022). Biomedical waste management practices and associated factors among health care workers in the era of the covid-19 pandemic at metropolitan city private hospitals, Amhara region, Ethiopia, 2020. PloS One, 17(4), e0266037. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0266037.
Mor, R. S., Singh, S., Bhardwaj, A., & Osama, M. (2017). Exploring the awareness level of biomedical waste management: Case of Indian healthcare. Management Science Letters, 467–478. doi:10.5267/j.msl.2017.7.004
Musa, F., Mohamed, A., & Selim, N. (2020). Assessment of nurses’ practice and potential barriers regarding the medical waste management at Hamad medical corporation in Qatar: A cross‑sectional study. Cureus. doi:10.7759/cureus.8281
Muthoni, M. S., Nyerere K, A., & Ngugi, C. W. (2016). Assessment of level of knowledge in medical waste management in selected hospitals in Kenya. Applied Microbiology (Los Angeles, CA), 02(04). doi:10.4172/2471-9315.1000124.
Naidana, P., & Surapaneni, N. (2013). A study on bio-medical waste management and universal precautions among health care personnel working in a PHC area. International Journal & Medical Research, 4(1).
Nwozichi, C., Farotimi, A., Ajao, E., & Ademuyiwa, I. (2018). Effect of training on knowledge, perception and risk reduction regarding infection control among nurses in selected teaching hospitals in Nigeria. Iranian Journal of Nursing and Midwifery Research, 23(6), 471. doi:10.4103/ijnmr.ijnmr_208_17
Olaifa, A., Govender, R. D., & Ross, A. J. (2018). Knowledge, attitudes and practices of healthcare workers about healthcare waste management at a district hospital in KwaZulu-Natal. South African Family Practice, 60(5), 137–145. doi:10.1080/20786190.2018.1432137.
Ranu, R., Santosh, K., & Manju, L. (2016). Knowledge, attitude and practice regarding Biomedical Waste Management amongst health care personnel in A medical college hospital in Trivandrum. National Journal of Community Medicine, 7(06), 457–460. Retrieved from https://njcmindia.com/index.php/file/article/view/976
Sarker, M. A., Harun-Or-Rashid, M., Hirosawa, T., Abdul Hai, M. S., Siddique, M. R., Sakamoto, J., & Hamajima, N. (2014). Evaluation of knowledge, practices, and possible barriers among healthcare providers regarding medical waste management in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Medical science monitor: international medical journal of experimental and clinical research, 20, 2590–2597. https://doi.org/10.12659/MSM.890904
Sen, S. K., Intekhab, A. N., Rahaman, M. S., & Rehana, Z. (2023). Knowledge and practice of health care personnel on medical waste management at primary care level of Northern Bangladesh. M Abdur Rahim Medical College Journal, 16(2), 128–134.
Sharma, A., Sharma, V., Sharma, S., & Singh, P. (2013). Awareness of biomedical waste management among health care. Retrieved May 13, 2024, from Nswai.org website: https://nswai.org/docs/Awareness%20of%20Biomedical%20Waste%20Management%20Among%20Health%20Care%20Personnel%20in%20Jaipur,%20India.pdf
Sharma, B., & George, S. (2014). Role of knowledge in practicing universal precautions among staff nurses. International Journal of Medical Science Research and Practice, 1(2)
Sharma, M., & Bachani, R. (2023). Knowledge, attitude, practice, and perceived barriers for the compliance of standard precautions among medical and nursing students in Central India. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(8), 5487. doi:10.3390/ijerph20085487
Soyam, G. C., Hiwarkar, P. A., Kawalkar, U. G., Soyam, V. C., & Gupta, V. K. (2017). KAP study of bio-medical waste management among health care workers in Delhi. International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health, 4(9), 3332. doi:10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20173840.
Syed, E. H., Mutahara, M., & Rahman, M. (2012). It’s a Review Home Health Care Management & Practice. In Medical Waste Management (MWM) in. Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Uddin, M. N., Islam, M. R., & Yesmin, K. (2014). Knowledge on hospital waste management among senior staff nurses working in a selected medical college hospital of Bangladesh. Journal of Waste Management, 2014, 1–5. doi:10.1155/2014/573069.
Vishal, B., Swarn, L., Mahesh, M., Sanjay, A., & Uma, A. (2012). Knowledge assessment of hospital staff regarding biomedical waste management in a tertiary care hospital. National Journal of Community Medicine, 3(2).
World Health Organization. (2018). Health-care waste. Retrieved April 13, 2024, from Who.int website: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/health-care-waste
