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Identification and elimination of the risk that can endanger nurses during their professional performance
CHARVÁTOVÁ, Lenka
Theoretical background Employment in the health service brings about a number of risks that are specific of respective health facilities and their departments. Nurses should be informed about all possible risks resulting from their nursing practice, as well as about ways to eliminate these risks because this is the only way they can protect themselves and by suitable means and procedures. Performing their work, nurses are exposed to four main areas of risk factors. These concern especially the effects of mental and physical strain, chemicals and biological factors. Objective of my thesis The objective was to test nurses' knowledge of risks and to test how well they can eliminate these risks. Apart from that, the thesis endeavours to find out whether the risks in nurses' work change in relation to the field of care provided. Hypotheses H1 Nurses know the risks resulting from their nursing practice. H2 Risks in nurses' work vary in relation to the field of care. H3 The most common risk occurring in nurses' occupation is the puncture wound caused by a needle. H 4 Nurses are acquainted with manners to eliminate risks resulting from the performance of their occupation. Methodology To test nurses' knowledge, I compiled a questionnaire focused on surveying the knowledge in the field of risks and elimination of these risks. The questionnaire was arranged in two basic groups. The first group was focused on the knowledge of risks and occurring injury in the performance of the occupation (the puncture wound by a needle). The other group was focused on the area of eliminating the risks. The research was carried out in medical facilities in the Region of South Bohemia. Altogether, 417 nurses were addressed. The following sections were chosen in a haphazard fashion: pulmonary, surgical, internal and a neurological departments, department of subsequent care and the intensive care unit. All the results obtained were statistically processed in the Excel programme from the Microsoft Office software packet. I used a graphic depiction to interpret the outcomes. Outcomes It was found out in the first area of the outcomes that nurses are acquainted with the risks of their occupation (knowledge of risk behaviour, when handling loads, when working with chemicals, when handling oxygen cylinders, treating an aggressive client). The second area of the outcomes was essential for establishing the ways to eliminate risks (the nurses proved knowledge of risks and duties, the duty to participate in creating a safe environment , compulsory preventive medical examinations, knowledge of risk behaviour, using personal protective equipment, observing the work principles and procedures, knowledge of treating contaminated laundry, oxygen cylinders and immobile clients, disinfection of hands, treating an aggressive client). The third area yielded an answer to the question whether puncture wounds caused by needles ranked among the most frequent risks in the occupation of the nurse. The last area was essential to establish the variability of risks depending on the field of care provided. It was found out, that risks varied in relation to the field of care provided, while the nurses viewed the mental and physical strain as the most significant risk in the performance of their work. H1 - Nurses know the risks resulting from their nursing practice - was confirmed, H2 - Risks in nurses' work vary in relation to the field of care provided - was confirmed, H3 - The most common risk occurring in nurses' occupation is the puncture wound by a needle - was confirmed, H4 - Nurses know ways to eliminate risks resulting from the performance of their occupation - was confirmed. Conclusion The outcomes of the research realized will be given to the managements of the above medical facilities, with the aim of increasing the nurses' knowledge of possible risks occurring in the performance of their work, as well as possible ways of eliminating these risks.
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