Awareness of ionizing radiation safety and protection knowledge among clinical healthcare professionals

Abstract

Objective To investigate the awareness of ionizing radiation safety and protection knowledge among clinical healthcare professionals.

Methods A cross-sectional study was performed among 270 nurses using a self-designed questionnaire. The questionnaire included participants’ socio-demographic features, and knowledge of radiation physics and biology, principle of radiation use, radiation protection, and guideline for safe use of ionizing radiation. The questionnaire results were analyzed using the descriptive epidemiological method.

Results A total of 270 questionnaires were assigned, and 252 valid questionnaires were recovered, with an effective response rate of 93.33%. Among the 252 respondents, 99.21% were female, 80.16% at the age of 25 to < 55, 31.35% with work seniority of 20 years and longer, 66.67% with an education level of bachelor degree, and 75.00% with a history of receiving medical radiation knowledge training and education. The awareness rates of the following problems were all more than 90%: “knowing the protocols concerning radiation workers who are pregnant”, ‘“trying best to promote agreed safety protocols concerning radiation dose and radiation usage in my daily work and actions”, “being aware of the radiation safety arrangements at my work”, “understanding the meaning of radiation safety culture”, “understanding the warning signs concerning radiation while working in the control area”, “knowing the meaning of warning signs regarding radiation safety”, “knowing how to report abnormal events in radiation use”, “knowing how to properly use personal radiation protection equipment”, “understanding the principle of dose limitation in radiation protection”, “knowing how ionizing radiation is produced”, “know how the harmful effects of medical radiation are caused”, and “knowing how to document all the essential information concerning the use of radiation”; however, the awareness rates of “knowing how to account for differences between adult and child/adolescent patients in radiological examinations” and “understanding the meaning of the inverse square law in radiation protection” were very low.

Conclusion The overall awareness of ionizing radiation safety and protection knowledge remains unsatisfactory among clinical healthcare professionals. The training on ionizing radiation safety and protection knowledge requires to be improved, and the radiation protection skills are recommended to be increased.

Abstract

摘要： 目的 了解临床医护人员对电离辐射安全和防护知识的知晓率。 方法 采用横断面调查方法, 以270例护理 人员为调查对象发放自行设计的问卷进行调查。问卷内容包括调查对象社会人口学特征, 以及放射物理学和生物学、放射使用原则、辐射防护、电离辐射安全使用指南等三大类放射性知识。采用描述性流行病学方法对问卷调查结果进 行分析。 结果 共发放调查问卷270份, 回收有效问卷252份, 有效应答率为93.33%。252例调查对象以女性为主 (占99.21%), 年龄以25〜< 55岁为主(占80.16%), 工作年限以彡20年为主(占31.35%), 受教育程度以本科为主(占 66.67%), 75.00%曾接受过医学辐射知识培训和教育。调查对象对“知晓怀孕的放射工作者相关要求”、“在日常工作 中尽力普及有关放射性剂量和应用的相关安全知识”、“能意识到在日常工作中做到辐射安全防护”、“知晓辐射安全文 化的重要性”、“在辐射控制区工作时能注意到警示标志”、“知晓有关辐射安全警示标志的含义”、“知晓如何报告放射 性使用中的异常事件”、“知晓如何合理使用个人辐射防护用品”、“知晓辐射防护的剂量限值原则”、“知晓电离辐射如 何产生”、“知晓医用辐射的有害作用是如何产生的”和“知晓记录全部有关辐射应用的必要知识”等问题知晓率 均> 90%, 但对“知晓造成成人和青少年患者放射性检查差异的原因”、“知晓辐射防护中平方反比定律的含义”等辐射 防护知识知晓率较低。 结论 临床医护人员对电离辐射安全和防护知识总体掌握仍较欠缺, 需加强电离辐射安全和 防护知识培训、提升辐射防护技能。