The Relationship Between Nurses Knowledge And Attitudes With Their Behavior In Solid Medical Waste Management At Ngimbang Regional General Hospital

Abstrak

Proper management of solid medical waste is essential to preventing health and environmental risks. Nurses play an important role in segregating and disposing of medical waste; therefore, their knowledge and attitudes may be associated with waste management practices. This study aimed to determine the relationship between nurses' knowledge and attitudes and their behavior in managing solid medical waste at Ngimbang Regional General Hospital, Lamongan. This study employed a quantitative analytical correlational design with a cross-sectional approach. The study population consisted of 144 nurses, with a sample of 106 nurses selected using simple random sampling. Data were collected using a closed-ended questionnaire, and relationships between variables were analyzed using the Spearman rank correlation test with a significance level of α = 0.05. The results showed that 77 nurses (72.6%) had good knowledge, 65 nurses (61.3%) had positive attitudes, and 80 nurses (75.5%) demonstrated good solid medical waste management behavior. There was a strong and statistically significant relationship between knowledge and behavior (rs = 0.771; p = 0.000). A moderate and statistically significant relationship was also found between attitudes and behavior (rs = 0.572; p = 0.000). In conclusion, nurses' knowledge and attitudes were significantly associated with their behavior in managing solid medical waste at Ngimbang Regional General Hospital, Lamongan.