| dc.description.abstract | By profession, health care workers (HCWs) attend to clients and patients through a variety of preventive and curative services. However, while their attention is focused on providing care. They are vulnerable to hazards that could be detrimental to their health and well being. This is especially true in developing countries where health service delivery is fraught with minimal protective precautions against exposure to numerous fomites and infectious agents.
This study assessed utilized a descriptive cross sectional design and stratified sampling technique to identify 120 respondents. The study used mixed methodology and collected data by validated instruments with resulting data analysed by IBMS-SPSS, version 23.
The results showed that most of the respondents were female (70%), married ( 67.5%) and with less than 10 years of work experience ( 62.5% ).. Most respondents (62.5%) had attained up to certificate level in education. Prevalence of exposure to occupational hazards was identified to be 62% with the highest exposure being blood exposure with 59%.
Absence of occupational health and safety committees ( p = 0.04), lack of training on health education ( p = 0.021) and poor sanitation facilities ( p=0.04) were the highest affecting factors associated with presence of occupational health hazards.
Therefore, concerted efforts by all stake holders especially the management communities, support supervision teams at national, district and health facility levels are required to adequately neutralize occupational hazards among nurses in Bugiri District. | en_US |
