CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
Healthcare workers in healthcare facilities such as hospitals, clinics, and health centers face a multitude of health risks that significantly impact their well-being. The hospital environment, by its very nature, is fraught with various hazards, which can be categorized into two main types: exogenous and endogenous.
- Exogenous problems: These are health issues brought into the hospital environment by healthcare workers themselves. They include conditions with long incubation periods that cannot be easily diagnosed early, such as tuberculosis, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and chickenpox.
- Endogenous problems: These are health issues acquired within the hospital setting, often from patients, their relatives, or fellow workers. Examples include Hepatitis B, HIV, and other bloodborne diseases that pose a risk due to exposure to infected blood and other bodily fluids. Injuries resulting from needlesticks, lacerations from contaminated instruments, and sharp object injuries are common modes of transmission.
Healthcare workers who are at a higher risk of health problems include doctors, nurses, laboratory staff, radiographers, mortuary attendants, cleaners, physiotherapists, and community health practitioners. Various hospital areas, including wards, clinics, operating theaters, laboratories, mortuaries, and other locations where patients are treated and samples are collected for investigation, can be sources of health problems.
Occupational injuries, particularly needle stick injuries, are a major occupational health hazard among healthcare workers in Nigeria, with the risk being hyper endemic. Primary healthcare workers face even greater risk due to poorer compliance with standard safety precautions. Needle stick injuries can transmit blood-borne diseases like hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS.
The underreporting of needlestick injuries is a significant issue, with an estimated half of all incidents going unreported. However, efforts have been made to prevent needlestick injuries and protect healthcare workers through regulations and safety precautions.
It is crucial to provide adequate training and education to healthcare workers to raise their awareness of the risks of occupational injuries, preventive measures, and proper management of post-exposure incidents. Access to safe equipment and protective gear should also be made mandatory for all healthcare workers.
Hepatitis B, a highly infectious disease, poses a significant occupational hazard to healthcare workers exposed to blood and blood products. These workers are at risk of needlestick injuries, which can lead to infection with potentially fatal blood-borne viruses. Vaccination against hepatitis B is recommended for all healthcare workers.
Hepatitis B is a global public health challenge, with hundreds of millions of people chronically infected, and millions of deaths annually due to acute or chronic consequences. The primary routes of transmission include childbirth and occupational exposure, making healthcare workers one of the most at-risk groups worldwide.
In high-prevalence areas, vertical transmission (during childbirth) is the primary mode of transmission, while low-prevalence areas see horizontal transmission through activities like injection drug use, unprotected sex, and drug abuse. Preventive measures, including vaccination, have been shown to be highly effective.
In addition to hepatitis B, musculoskeletal injuries are another occupational hazard among healthcare workers, with a significant impact on their physical and psychological well-being. These injuries are often the result of the physical and emotional demands of patient care, staffing shortages, and the working environment.
Occupational injuries among healthcare workers can have a direct and indirect impact on patient safety and the quality of care. Healthcare workers play a crucial role in patient outcomes, and injury rates are linked to nursing shortages and limited time for patient care, both of which can lead to negative patient outcomes.
This review highlights the importance of understanding the risk factors for occupational injuries among healthcare workers and the subsequent impact on patient safety. It emphasizes the need for further research in this area to improve patient care and ensure the safety and well-being of healthcare workers and the public. The study aims to assess the knowledge and awareness of risk factors and impacts of occupational injuries among primary healthcare workers in Eket Local Government Area and provide recommendations to address these issues.
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1.2 Statement of the Problem
Occupational injuries, particularly needlestick injuries, are a significant and common concern in the healthcare environment. They pose a substantial risk to healthcare workers, particularly in developing countries like Nigeria, and are considered a complex emergency. The prevalence of these injuries can be attributed to several factors and practices within healthcare facilities.
- Needlestick injuries often occur when healthcare workers are drawing blood, administering injections, or performing procedures involving sharp instruments. These injuries can result from needles slipping or accidentally puncturing the healthcare worker's skin. Such incidents can lead to the transmission of pathogens, including blood-borne diseases like HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C.
- Needlestick injuries can also happen during procedures such as recapping needles or improperly disposing of used needles. Failure to place used needles in approved sharps containers is a common contributing factor to these injuries.
- Lack of access to appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) and the failure to use available PPE are additional risk factors for needlestick injuries. Adequate PPE, such as gloves and safety goggles, is essential to protect healthcare workers from potential exposure to infectious materials.
- Night shifts can increase the risk of needlestick injuries. Fatigue and reduced visibility during nighttime hours can contribute to accidents and incidents, including needlestick injuries.
Addressing the issue of occupational injuries, particularly needlestick injuries, is crucial for the safety and well-being of healthcare workers. Research aimed at assessing the knowledge and awareness of risk factors and impacts of these injuries among primary healthcare workers in Eket Local Government Area is essential. Such studies can provide insights into the specific challenges faced by healthcare workers in this region and help public health officials develop targeted prevention and control strategies to protect healthcare workers and improve healthcare practices.
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1.3 Purpose of the Study
The main objective of the study is to assess the knowledge and awareness of risk factors and impacts of occupational injuries among Primary Healthcare Centres workers in Eket Local Government Area.
Specific Objectives:
1. To assess the influence of years of experience on the knowledge and awareness of risk factors of occupational injuries among PHC workers in Eket Local Government Area.
2. To find out the influence of level of training on the knowledge and awareness of risk factors of occupational injuries among PHC workers in Eket Local Government Area.
3. To determine the influence of age on the knowledge of risk factors of occupational injuries among PHC workers in Eket Local Government Area.
4. To determine the knowledge and awareness of the impact of occupational injuries among PHC workers in Eket Local Government Area.
1.4 Research Questions
1. Do PHC workers years of experience influence their knowledge of risk factors in Eket Local Government Area?
2. Do PHC health workers level of training influence their knowledge of risk factors in Eket Local Government Area?
3. Do PHC workers’ age influence their knowledge/awareness of risk factors in Eket Local Government Area?
4. What are the impacts of occupational injuries among healthcare workers in Primary Healthcare Centres, Eket Local Government Area?
1.5 Significance of the Study
- This research hopes to enhance awareness towards controlling risk factors and impacts of occupational injuries among Primary Healthcare practitioners.
- The study will aid improvement of services in the Primary Healthcare centres in Eket Local Government Area.
- The study will also enable healthcare workers in Eket Local Government Area to change their attitude of unhygienic handling of medical equipments.
- The findings will further assist the government in planning for workers’ health and safety measures to reduce incidence of injuries among the Primary Healthcare workers.
1.6 Limitation of the Study
The limitations encountered in carrying out the study are non-availability of sufficient materials as well as difficulty in retrieving the questionnaire back from the respondents. Notwithstanding the limitations, it is hoped that this work will be of immense value to the future researcher who would wish to use this work as a basis for future research.
1.7 Scope and Delimitation of the Study
The study was limited to Primary Healthcare workers in Eket Local Government Area in Akwa Ibom State. The subject of study is to delimit on the risk factors associated with occupational injuries. It is specifically designed to assess or examine the knowledge and awareness of risk factors and impacts of occupational injuries among healthcare workers in Eket Local Government Area.
1.8 Operational Definition of Terms
Knowledge: The information, understanding and skills that you gain through education or experience.
Awareness: Knowing or realizing that something exists and is important, being interesting in.
Assess: To make a judgement about the nature or quality of a thing.
Impact of occupational injuries: According to Mroz (1978), occupational injury is a sequence of sudden unplanned events which have the potential for producing personal injury or property damage. It is in unplanned event usually associated with unpleasant outcome, (Asogwa, 2007).
Risk factors: According to Asogwa (2007) risk factors are varied; some of them include age, lack of knowledge, experience, skills, ill-health and physical unsuitability of the worker. These are conditions of the work environment that can precipitate injury to workers.
