Riesgos biológicos en el personal de enfermería: una mirada hacia el desarrollo sostenible en Venezuela

Abstract

Introduction: Currently, the country is experiencing social uncertainty, and nursing professionals are no exception. Their role is to provide humane care, and to take care of those who suffer a work-related accident. Objective: To analyze the occupational exposure to biological hazards among nursing staff from a sustainable development perspective. Methodology: This is a descriptive, cross-sectional, quantitative field study. The population consisted of 135 nurses. A simple random probability sample of 33 nurses from a hospital in the central region of Carabobo, Venezuela. The confidence level was 90% (0.9); the maximum permissible error was 10% (0.1). Data collection technique: questionnaire design. Results: A population of 33 nurses working in the public health sector was studied. According to academic level, 18 (54.5%) were nursing graduates, 11 (33.3%) were higher technicians, and 4 (12.1%) were specialists. The types of injuries caused by occupational accidents were: needle 60.6%, splashes 27.3%, cuts 9.1%, and scratches 3.0%. In nursing practice, contact with patients poses a biological risk as a means of contagion. Conclusions: The causative material agent (needle prick) was found, as well as a work-related accident rate of 0.64%, which could have a negative impact on the worker due to being exposed to biological risk and the possibility of contracting an infectious disease, affecting their stability in economic and social sustainability.