Knowledge, Exposure, and Safety Practices Toward Occupational Hazards Among Healthcare Workers in Accident and Emergency Departments of Tertiary Health Institutions in Rivers State, Nigeria

References

[1] Adebayo, S., & Fatusi, A. (2019). Psychological distress and burnout among healthcare professionals in Nigeria. African Journal of Health Sciences, 32(1), 12-21.

[2] Asika, N. (2010). Research methodology in the behavioural sciences (2nd ed.). Longman Nigeria Plc.

[3] Auta, A., et al. (2017). Occupational exposure to blood and body fluids among healthcare workers in Nigeria. Journal of Infection Prevention, 18(5), 234-240.

[4] Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (4th ed.). Sage.

[5] Erondu, N., et al. (2019). Health risks and emergency response challenges in the Niger Delta. The Lancet Global Health, 7(6), e678-e680.

[6] Ezenwa, B. (2020). Compliance with occupational safety practices among healthcare workers. Nigerian Medical Journal, 61(4), 210-215.

[7] Glanz, K., Rimer, B., & Viswanath, K. (2015). Health behavior: Theory, research, and practice (5th ed.). Jossey-Bass.

[8] Ijeoma, O. U., & Agunwa, C. C. (2021). Burnout and occupational stress among nurses in tertiary hospitals in Southeastern Nigeria. Nigerian Journal of Clinical Practice, 24(4), 523-531.

[9] Ilesanmi, O., & Omotosho, B. (2022). Occupational hazards among healthcare workers in Nigeria. BMC Public Health, 22, 1-9.

[10] International Labour Organization (ILO). (2021). Global trends in occupational safety and health. ILO.

[11] Nsengimana, A., & Raphela, P. (2024). Occupational hazards awareness and safety perception among healthcare workers in a Rwandan teaching hospital. East African Medical Journal, 101(1), 34-42.

[12] Nwankwo, O. U., & Osahon, B. D. (2022). Knowledge and compliance with infection control practices among emergency department staff. Nigerian Health Journal, 22(3), 301-308.

[13] Ogundele, O., et al. (2021). Safety practices in Nigerian teaching hospitals. Health Systems Journal, 13(2), 200-210.

[14] Okonkwo, R. U., Eze, E. A., & Obi, C. F. (2022). Biohazard exposure and safety compliance among health workers in University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital. Journal of Hospital Management and Health Policy, 6(1), 1-9.

[15] Okpako, O., et al. (2021). Violence and emergency healthcare in Niger Delta. Conflict and Health, 15(1), 1-9.

[16] Olayinka, A. R., & Duru, E. U. (2023). Organizational support and safety outcomes among health workers in emergency departments in Southern Nigeria. International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics, 29(2), 214-225.

[17] Osei-Bonsu, E., et al. (2020). Workplace violence in emergency departments in Ghana. BMC Emergency Medicine, 20, 1-8.

[18] Van Der Molen, H. F., Frings-Dresen, M. H. W., & Sluiter, J. K. (2022). Occupational musculoskeletal injuries among healthcare workers: A systematic review. International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health, 35(2), 121.

[19] Jonah, A., & Dahiru, U. (2024). Knowledge and practice of occupational health hazard prevention among health workers in Kogi State. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, 15(2), 128-137.

[20] Karasek, R. (1979). Job demands, job decision latitude, and mental strain. Administrative Science Quarterly, 24(2), 285-308. JSTOR

[21] Makoni, M., et al. (2021). Occupational exposure to biological hazards among healthcare workers in Africa. African Health Sciences, 21(2), 567-575.

[22] Mousa, H. A., Salem, S. M., & Mahdy, M. M. (2024). Occupational hazards and safety measures among nurses in Egypt Air Hospital. Egyptian Nursing Journal, 41(2), 98-107.

@article{1723157,
      author = {A. C. Anike, Assoc. Prof. A. C. Ugwuoke, G. Nwankwo, N. A. Nwanesindu, E. Eriteta},
      title = {Knowledge, Exposure, and Safety Practices Toward Occupational Hazards Among Healthcare Workers in Accident and Emergency Departments of Tertiary Health Institutions in Rivers State, Nigeria},
      journal = {Iconic Research And Engineering Journals},
      year = {2026},
      volume = {10},
      number = {3},
      pages = {1952-1961},
      issn = {2456-8880},
      url = {https://www.irejournals.com/formatedpaper/1723157.pdf},
      abstract = {Healthcare workers in Accident and Emergency (A&E) departments occupy one of the highest risk zones in the health system, routinely encountering biological, physical, chemical, ergonomic, and psycho social hazards that threaten their safety and undermine the quality of emergency care. This study assessed the knowledge, exposure, and safety practices toward occupational hazards among healthcare workers in the A&E departments of two tertiary health institutions in Rivers State, Nigeria, and examined how these variables differed by socio-demographic characteristics. A descriptive cross-sectional design was adopted. A sample of 163 healthcare workers was drawn from the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital and the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital using a self-structured questionnaire that was validated by four public health experts and assessed for reliability through the test-retest method. A total of 157 questionnaires were retrieved, giving a response rate of 96.3 percent. Data were analyzed with SPSS using descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation) and inferential statistics (chi-square, one-way ANOVA, and independent samples t-test) at the 0.05 level of significance. Results showed a moderate overall level of knowledge (grand mean = 1.46, SD = 0.49; 53.4 percent correct response rate), with stronger recognition of biological hazards than of psycho social and ergonomic hazards, and a moderate level of safety practice (grand mean = 3.03, SD = 1.21) marked by high hand hygiene compliance alongside weak training on equipment handling and inconsistent use of personal protective equipment. Age had no significant influence on knowledge, exposure, or safety practice (p > .05 in all three comparisons), whereas job duration was significantly associated with knowledge of occupational hazards (chi-square = 31.93, df = 12, p < .01). The study recommends institution-driven continuing professional development and strengthened occupational health and safety systems in Nigerian tertiary hospitals.},
      keywords = {accident and emergency department, healthcare workers, nigeria, occupational hazards, safety practices},
      month = {September},
  }