Knowledge attitude and practices of biomedical waste management among medical and nursing students in a teaching hospital of J & K, India

Abstract

Biomedical waste (BMW) management means to reduce waste generated from healthcare facilities and effectively segregate, collect, transport and dispose it in such a way that it is no more hazardous to HCW (healthcare workers), community or the environment. Lack of awareness and inadequate knowledge about BMW management can have serious consequences. To assess and compare the Knowledge, attitude, practices (KAP) of BMW management among medical and nursing students. A cross sectional study was don e at a tertiary care teaching hospital among medical and nursing students. A self administered, predesigned, pretested questionnaire was given to140 participants and data analyzed by using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 21. Majority (80%) of the medical students were aware of the BMW rules whereas only 40% of the nursing students were aware of these rules. There was a statistically significant difference in the knowledge about various aspects of BMW management between the two groups of students. The students had an overall positive attitude towards BMW management but the difference was not significant between the groups. Practices of students regarding BMW management were relatively poor. BMW management rules should be strictly implemented at all levels to convert knowledge into good practises. Appropriate training programs should be designed for the undergraduate medical and nursing students focussing on BMW management practises.