CHAPTHER ONE

1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

Occupational health hazards have been increasing since the beginning of civilization and continue to be the primary source of sickness and mortality among nurses worldwide. Sugiyono (2019) observed that there are risks in the workplace for over 2.9 billion workers worldwide. This exposure may cause an accident, the start of illnesses or infections, which could cause workers' injuries, disability, or even death. Studies have indicated that, similar to many other African nations, Nigeria appears to be experiencing the wors. For instance, Sugiyono (2019) observed that Practices related to occupational health and safety have often received minimal research funding and are frequently disregarded. There are additional variables that contribute to the high rate of accidents and disease infections among Nigerian workers in industries, such as inadequate personal and environmental cleanliness and a lack of a safety culture (Walton and Rogers 2020). The high rate of occupational accidents and diseases in the nation is also a result of employers' ambition for higher productivity and profitability, even at the expense of employees' health (Walton and Rogers 2020). According to estimates, Nigeria and other poor nations have fatality rates from occupational injuries that are at least two to five times greater than those of wealthy nations especially in the healt sector. Given this context, it is evident that a failure to pay adequate attention to occupational health and safety issues can have a severe financial impact on a company or a country's economy, in addition to the human cost of work-related disease, injury, and death. As a result, the field of occupational health hazards needs more research focus..

The word "health" has been defined by WHO (2020) as a person's total state of health—physical, mental, and social—rather than just the absence of illness or disability. Attia, Soroure and Ahmed (2019) argued that the concept of health should include other aspects such as spiritual, emotional, and occupational health in order for a person to have optimal health. Accordingly, the writers characterize health as a person's total condition of physical, social, mental, spiritual, emotional, and professional well-being.. The WHO (2022) defined the goal of occupational health as a multidisciplinary endeavor is to safeguard and improve employee health. According to the World Health Organization, occupational health achieves these goals through the following means: preventing and controlling workplace accidents and hazards; removing occupational factors and conditions that are hazardous to employee health and safety; developing and promoting safe and healthy work environments and work organizations; improving employee physical, mental, and social wellbeing; and providing support for the maintenance and development of employees' working capacity as well as their professional and social growth at work.. Due to all of these things, nurses can lead fulfilling lives and make a significant impact on the country's sustainable growth (Rhule, 2020).

 The unique demands of their work and the risks they face at the hospital can have an impact on nurses' health and well-being. No matter how straightforward a profession may appear, there are generally certain risks involved. Workers' lives and health are in danger because of hazards. A material, agent, source of energy, or circumstance that carries the potential to result in unfavorable outcomes is said to possess inherent hazards (Walton and Rogers 2020). Any hazardous situation related to a work environment that can cause disease, injury, endangerment, peril, or danger with the potential for harm, loss, or unfortunate events is considered an occupational hazard. Workers in Nigerian organizations face a variety of health risks, including chemical, physical, psychological, and biological risks (Akinwale & Olusanya, 2019).

The WHO (2019) had divided workplace dangers into categories such as mechanical, biological agents, social, psychological, chemical, reproductive, and ergonomically unfavorable working circumstances. Rhule (2022) classified the risks associated with nursing jobs into five categories: chemical, physical, biological, and allergic substances. In order to ascertain nurses' understanding of the risks related to their work environment, this study examined the aforementioned types of hazards. Crisp-Bright (2021) described knowledge as the psychological outcome of learning, thinking, and perception. A subject's theoretical or practical understanding is referred to as knowledge. It might be more or less formal or systematic; it can be implicit (as with practical skills or knowledge) or explicit (as with the theoretical grasp of a subject). Acquiring knowledge entails intricate cognitive functions such as perception, communication, and reasoning. Additionally, knowledge is believed to be associated with an individual's ability to acknowledge things while perception is the organization, identification, and interpretation of sensory information in order to represent and understand the presented information or environment. WHO (2020) had earlier claimed that prior knowledge is necessary for all health-related actions. According to the report, a lot of the illnesses that plague society today are mostly brought on by anti-health policies because a lot of people lack knowledge about health issues. This suggests that a lack of appropriate or accurate knowledge may be the cause of the frequency of health issues in society, particularly in the workplace. Nursing is a profession that is highly involved in care giving. Institute of Medicine (2021) defines The nursing profession is a compassionate profession that applies medical diagnosis and treatment procedures to the experiences of individuals with health issues. A person who has successfully finished a basic, generalized nursing education programme and has been granted permission by the relevant regulatory body to practice nursing in their nation is known as a nurse. 

Moreover, Nigeria boasts one of the biggest concentrations of healthcare professionals in Africa, accounting for around one-third of the country's workforce. Health professionals carry out their jobs in increasingly dangerous workplace environments. Workers in this sector are accountable for delivering high-quality healthcare services despite the fact that the facilities where they work—hospitals, clinics, and laboratories—are becoming more dangerous. According to studies, the actions that healthcare workers (HCWs) perform expose them to a variety of hazards (Yesmeen, Ali, Tyrrel & Zaheer, 2020; Ajith, Ghosh & Jansz, 2020). This comprises—without being limited to—direct infections, injuries caused by sharp objects, stress, patient and family assault, allergies, back discomfort, and other musculoskeletal problems. The authors noted that despite the many risks present in their hazardous work environment, governments, management, and regulators continue to overlook healthcare occupational settings. Risks related to occupational health increase the morbidity and mortality of nurses. The loss of qualified medical staff will have a negative impact on healthcare services, which are already inadequate in developing nations like Nigeria. Healthcare professionals who suffer from occupational diseases and injuries face a multiplicity of consequences, including financial loss, physical harm, and psychological issues including sadness and stress. These affect the workers, their families, and the country as a whole negatively. Research has also demonstrated a relationship between workers' perceptions of occupational dangers and their level of knowledge, with age being one such demographic element.

Health care facilities are high-risk jobs where employees are exposed to toxic substances often, which can seriously endanger their lives and health (Aluko 2019). Occupational health and safety at healthcare institutions guarantees the health and safety of employees, patients, visitors, and the surrounding community, free from illnesses and adverse consequences resulting from job-related activities, work, and surroundings. Since  the might disrupt the service delivery process, workplace accidents are bad for both the employees and the business or health service facility. In order to prevent work accidents, it is expected that all persons involved in the service process at a Health Service Facility will be aware of and able to implement occupational safety and health. Because health workers in particular are a vital resource for health service facilities that need to be looked after and maintained (Robby, 2018).

According to Aluko (2019) Nurses may suffer physical, financial, or psychological hardship as a result of illness or accident. since they are ill-prepared to handle workplace risks, Nigerian nurses are more likely to get hurt or sick while doing their jobs. The lack of equipment that can improve best practices in poor nations exacerbates staff vulnerability in healthcare facilities. Patient safety remains the primary consideration when it comes to safety in the hospital setting, thus hospital personnel have not received as much safety-related socialisation, particularly when it comes to health nursing or the safety of nurses while providing patient care(Aluko 2019). Thus, the quality of health care delivery in developing nations is threatened by the precariousness of health workers' positions, particularly those of physicians, nurses, and nursing assistants. Studies on occupational hazards among health workers in underdeveloped nations tend to concentrate more on particular job assignments within health care delivery systems. Meanwhile, this study analyzes the knowledge and perception of occupational health safety among accident and emergency nurses of general hospital Ilorin Kwara state

1.2 Statement of problem

In accident and emergency rooms, nurses work with people's health and, most crucially, their lives. As such, they require a high level of devotion. The nature of nursing puts nurses at risk for a wide range of workplace dangers. Cuts, bruises, unintentional needle stick injuries, and infections from bacteria and viruses, such as COVID-19 and HIV, are among these risks. These can be spread by coming into contact with infected individuals or contaminated objects, body secretions, tissues, or fluids (Owie & Apanga 2019). Although nurses at accident and emergency at general hospital Ilorin face such hazards, this area is largely under-researched.

According to International Labour Organization (2019) Due to occupational health risks, hospitals are experiencing a decline in the number of qualified nurses, staff migration, and early retirements. Consequently, it is critical to investigate nurses' perspectives about safety procedures and occupational health risks. It is unclear how closely nurses at the general hospital in Ilorin are adhering to established guidelines intended to prevent and reduce health hazards at work, particularly in spite of Nigerian legislation addressing the issues of occupational health hazards.. Research revealed a significant gap in safety procedures and an increase in the incidence of occupational risks in healthcare settings (Tudor et al.2020). However, the result of this study will generate more insight into gap that exists in knowledge and perception of occupational health safety among accident and emergency nurses of general hospital Ilorin Kwara state . Findings from this study would be useful for other researchers following the publication to fill the existing gap.

1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The major aim of the study is to asses Knowledge and Perception of Occupational Health Safety among Accident and Emergency Nurses of General Hospital Ibadan. Other specific objectives include:

1 To asses the level of knowledge on occupational health safety among accident and emergency nurses of general hospital Ibadan

2 To determine the perception of nurses towards occupational hazard in accident and emergency nurses of general hospital Ibadan

3 To examine The Different Type of Hazards Prevalent among Nurses of general hospital Ibadan

4 To outline preventive measures for occupational hazards among nurses in accident and emergency nurses of general hospital Ibadan

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1 What is the level of knowledge on occupational health safety among accident and emergency nurses of general hospital Ibadan?

2 what is the perception of nurses towards occupational hazard  in accident and emergency nurses of general hospital Ibadan?

3  What are the Different Type Of  workplace Hazards Prevalent Among Nurses of general hospital Ibadan?

4 What are the preventive measures for occupational hazards among nurses in accident and emergency nurses of general hospital Ibadan?

1.5 HYPOTHESES

HO1: the knowledge towards occupational health safety among accident and emergency nurses of general hospital Ibadan is high

1.6 Significance of Study

An assessment of the knowledge and perception of occupational health safety among accident and emergency nurses of general hospital will give an insight into the type of workforce that is responsible for health care delivery in this healthcare facility and the country. This information can assist policy makers and regulatory authorities to proffer solutions that will ensure a healthy workforce that can improve health care delivery and patient satisfaction. Enforcement of the adherence to standard safety guidelines in all health care facilities will go a long way in reducing occupational injuries, illnesses and disabilities.

1.7 Scope Of The Study

The study is restricted to knowledge and perception of occupational health safety among accident and emergency nurses of general hospital Ibadan

1.8 Limitation Of The Study

 Limitation to this study will be lack of data to make valid study on the research problem. This is as a result of restricted materials which are to be used in the study. Another limitation is the problem of adequately power supply to carry out the research. Furthermore the sincerity of the respondents might be in doubt this because some questions asked in the questionnaire might not be answered accurately due to biasness from the respondents

1.9 Operationalized definition of terms

Knowledge refers to Knowledge is a familiarity or awareness, of someone or something, such as facts, skills, or objects contributing to ones understanding

Perception is the organization, identification, and interpretation of sensory information in order to represent and understand the presented information or environment. All perception involves signals that go through the nervous system, which in turn result from physical or chemical stimulation of the sensory system

Occupational hazards are risks associated with working in specific occupations

 Occupational safety and health or occupational health and safety is a multidisciplinary field concerned with the safety, health, and welfare of people at work