J Korean Clin Nurs Res.  2023 Dec;29(3):327-336. 10.22650/JKCNR.2023.29.3.327.

Influencing Factors on the Practice of Medical Waste Management of Nurses in Tertiary General Hospitals after COVID-19

• Oh DI
• Cho GY

• KMID: 2551436
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.22650/JKCNR.2023.29.3.327

Abstract

Purpose
This study aimed to identify the factors affecting the practice of medical waste management of nurses in tertiary general hospitals after the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Methods
The participants were 154 nurses working in two tertiary general hospitals. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and analyzed using an Independent t-test, One-way ANOVA, Scheffé ́ test, Pearson correlation coefficients, and multiple regression analysis using the SPSS/WIN 27.0 program.
Results
Factors significantly influencing the subject's practice of medical waste management include medical waste education(β=.18, p=.013), recognition of infection control organizational culture (β=.26, p=.007), and attitudes toward medical waste management (β=.23, p=.011). The explanatory power of these variables for medical waste management practice was 29.0% (F=7.34, p<.001).
Conclusion
To improve the practice of medical waste management, a strategy to provide positive attitudes toward medical waste management should be needed when developing medical waste management training programs, and various measures are necessary to make the organizational culture positive for the implementation of infection control guidelines at the organizational level.

Keyword

Attitude; COVID-19; Medical Waste; Practice