Occupational hazards and safety issuesamong nurses working in the intensive care units Prabha Dasila K1,*, Bharti Veer V2 1Professor cum Principal, MGM New Bombay College of Nursing, Navi Mumbai 2Professor cum Vice Principal, MGM New Bombay College of Nursing, Navi Mumbai *Address for Correspondence: DR. MRS PRABHA K DASILA Professor cum Principal, MGM New Bombay CON, Navi Mumbai
Online published on 29 November, 2017. Abstract Introduction Nurses are an integral component of the health care delivery system. In discharging their duties, nurses encounter a variety of occupational health problems which may be categorized into biological, chemical, physical, and psychosocial hazards. Aim of the study To assess occupational Hazards and Safety Issues among Nurses working in the Intensive Care Units Material & Methods A quantitative research approach with descriptive cross sectional research design was used to identify occupational health hazards among nurses working in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and to determine their reporting behaviour and perceived safety concerns. Self-reported structured questionnaire was used to collect the data. Results Majority of the subjects were females in the age group of 21–30 years, working in different ICUs and in three shifts. Most commonly reported physical hazard was found as leg pain and biological hazard as throat infection. Skin allergy and eye irritation because of exposure to disinfectant has been reported highest by subjects as chemical hazard. Sadness and social isolation was found in more than 20% subjects mostly among senior level nurses as psychosocial hazard. Conclusion In relation to physical safety most subjects responded that they feel safe in their area of work. Proper use of body mechanics, application of preventive measures and regular in-service education may prevent various occupational health hazards among nurses working in critical care units and other areas. Top Keywords Occupational hazards, physical hazards, chemical hazards, biological hazards, psychological hazards, social hazards, safety issues nurses, and intensive care units. Top |