Knowledge and attitudes toward biosafety measures among nursing staff
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21911828Keywords:
biosafety, nursing staff, occupational risks, universal precautionsAbstract
Objective: To describe knowledge and attitudes toward the application of biosafety measures among nursing staff at a hospital in Pedro Juan Caballero, Paraguay.
Methods: Observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study. The entire nursing staff (census, N=20) of Hospital Juan Pablo II, Barrio Obrero, Pedro Juan Caballero, year 2021, was included. A structured self-administered questionnaire was applied.
Results: Biological risks were identified as the main occupational risk by 60% of staff. Glove use was the most frequently recognized prevention measure (65%). Fifty percent reported providing care to patients with HIV/AIDS without distinction, 30% reported refraining from direct patient care in the presence of their own skin lesions, and 20% explicitly expressed awareness of the risk of nosocomial infection.
Conclusion: Nursing staff at the study hospital recognize biological risk as the main occupational hazard and know glove use as the predominant prevention measure, with less recognition of other measures such as hand hygiene and prevention of needlestick injuries, suggesting the need to strengthen training in the full set of standard precautions.
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Copyright (c) 2024 Maribel Martínez Giménez, Fredy Ramón Cabrera Villalba (Autor/a)
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