Effectiveness of structured teaching programme on knowledge regarding occupational health hazards among multipurpose health care workers of Oncology unit

Abstract

Introduction: Workers in oncology unit get exposed to the physical hazards due to radiation therapy, biological hazards due to exposure of pathogens, chemical hazards due to inadequate handling of cytotoxic drugs, ergonomic hazards caused by bad posture. Chemotherapy is one of the important treatment in cancer management. people who are associated with handling of cytotoxic drugs, disposal of cytotoxic drugs, handling of body fluids who are receiving cytotoxic drugs, managing of spills of cytotoxic drugs are exposed to the health hazards. Aim: To identify the knowledge level regarding occupational health hazards, to compare the knowledge level regarding occupational health hazards among multipurpose health care workers from Oncology unit. Method and material: The study adopted Quantitative Research Approach and pre-experimental pre-test post-test design research design. Sample were consisting of 250 multi-purpose health care workers from chemotherapy units / Bone Marrow Transplantation unit between age 18 to 58 years posted in morning, evening and night shift. Participants were selected with non-probability purposive sampling techniques.  Written consent from the participants was taken, made them comfortable and tool was administered, each participants were given 30-35 minutes and data collected by using semi structured interview technique. Data collection of the study was based on study objectives, demographic variables and health status assessment and knowledge-based tool. Result: The majority of the participants i.e. 47.60% belonged to the age group 29 – 38, 61.20% were females, 51.60% were completed their high school education where as 78% were married.     It shows that all participants i.e. 100% had average knowledge score in pretest, in posttest I 60% had good knowledge score where as 40% had excellent knowledge score. In posttest II 59.60% have good and 40.40% had excellent knowledge score. Conclusion: The structured teaching programme was effective on knowledge regarding occupational health hazards among multi-purpose healthcare workers of oncology unit from selected hospitals.