Occupational Injuries and Safety Climate among Operating Room Nurses By YouMi Ahn
Department of Nursing Graduate School of Kyung Hee University Advised by Prof. Juhee Kim
The purpose of this study was to examine occupational injuries experienced by op...
Occupational Injuries and Safety Climate among Operating Room Nurses By YouMi Ahn
Department of Nursing Graduate School of Kyung Hee University Advised by Prof. Juhee Kim
The purpose of this study was to examine occupational injuries experienced by operating room nurses and investigate the relationship between occupational injuries and safety climate. Clinical nurses are exposed to various occupational hazards in their work environments, leading to experiences of occupational injuries. Operating room nurses, in particular, face unique risks in terms of type and frequency due to the specialized nature of their work environment compared to nurses in other hospital departments. Therefore, this study categorized the extent of occupational injuries among operating room nurses into four sub-factors: injuries due to biological hazards, chemical hazards, physical hazards, and ergonomic hazards. Additionally, the study explored factors contributing to increased occupational injury risks among operating room nurses. The organizational factor of safety climate was examined, and the correlation between safety climate and the experience of occupational injuries among operating room nurses was investigated.
For this study, 198 operating room nurses employed in general hospitals with more than 300 beds in the metropolitan area were recruited. Data were collected using an online survey conducted through Google Forms from May 15 to July 12, 2023, and 196 responses were included in the final analysis. Collected data was analyzed with the SPSS/WIN 23.0 program. Results indicated that the overall extent of occupational injuries among participants was mild, with a mean score of 34.77±18.15 out of 120 points. Among the sub-factors, injuries due to ergonomic hazards were the highest, while injuries due to physical hazards were the lowest. Safety climate scored 68.91±13.40 out of 110 points. Participants working in tertiary hospitals exhibited a higher experience of injuries due to biological hazards compared to those in general hospitals (t=-2.089, p=0.038).
Additionally, participants with a history of smoking had a higher experience of injuries due to ergonomic hazards (t=3.163, p=0.046), and those with over 10 years of clinical experience in the operating room had a higher experience of injuries than those with less than one year of experience (F=3.840, p=0.032). Safety climate perception was higher among participants in tertiary hospitals compared to those in general hospitals (t=-2.038, p=0.043). The correlation analysis revealed a significant negative correlation between occupational injuries and safety climate (r=-.236, p<.001). The findings of the study demonstrate that higher safety climate perception among operati g roomnurses is associated with lower experience of occupational injuries. Therefore, efforts to improve the safety of operating room nurses should focus on reducing exposure to occupational hazards related to occupational injuries and enhancing safety climate in the workplace.
Key words : Occupational Injuries, Occupational Hazards, Operating RoomNurses, Safety Climat