INTRODUCTION:

When the patient care activities are carried out in a health care setting certain waste is produced which has the potential to cause harm to human beings and environmental such waste includes soiled, cotton, bandages, hypodermic needle’s, syringe, tubing such as intravenous sets and urinary catheter etc such waste is commonly called as biomedical waste (BMW) in India through it is also know by various other name such as clinical waste, medical waste and health care waste in different part of the world such waste constitutes merely 15 to 25% of the total waste generated in hospital the remaining being general waste such as waste paper ,wrappers of drug carboard and left over food etc the general waste is treated by local municipality in same way as house hold waste but special precautions and treatment modalities are required for BMW so that it dose not cause any harm to human beings and environment through as many as 40 pathogens have been documented to be transmitted by BMW, its well documented propensity to cause transmission of 3 pathogens manly human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) makes it essential that due care is exercised while handling and disposing it.

BMWM should be a collective teamwork with dedicated government backing, worthy BMW practices tracked by both health-care workers and HCFs, continuous monitoring of BMW practices, and resilient legislature. It is our essential right to live in clean and safe environment.

Exposure to hazardous biomedical waste can cause disease or injury to human health. HIV, hepatitis B, and C are the three most commonly spread viruses worldwide due to improper treatment of medical wastes. They are transmitted through injuries from contaminated syringes and needles.

Doctors, nurses, and sanitation workers are amongst the most vulnerable to the harmful effects of biomedical waste. At a time of rapid emergence of new strains of the novel coronavirus, the importance of appropriate treatment of medical wastes cannot be more emphasized.

Effective biomedical waste management is vital for several reasons. Firstly, it helps prevent the transmission of infectious diseases. Medical waste, such as used needles, contaminated dressings, and tissues, can harbor pathogens that pose a significant risk to healthcare workers, patients, and the general public. Proper segregation, collection, treatment, and disposal of biomedical waste minimize the chances of infection and ensure a safe.

Exploring Biomedical Waste Management Practices Among Healthcare Professionals: A Study from a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital in Eastern India. The challenges faced in BMW practices in the study setting were identified and addressed. The interventions showed improvement in the BMW management practices of staff. The disparity between knowledge and practical skills in managing hospital-generated wastes among HCWs was evident and effectively tackled through targeted training sessions.

During the posting the investigator observed the health care personnels performing biomedical waste management. Therefore, the investigator felt the need for this research project and undertook this study and management.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM:

A study to assess the knowledge and self reported practice regarding the Biomedical waste management among the health care personnels with a view to develop an information booklet at selected hospital, Devanahalli, Bangalore.

1. To Assess the knowledge and practices regarding the Biomedical waste management among the health care personnels at selected hospital, Devanahalli.

2. To create awareness and knowledge in individuals regarding Biomedical waste management among health care personnels.

3. To determine the level of practices of the hospital about the safe disposal of waste management.

4. To identify the problems in the management of Biomedical waste among health care personnels.

5. To know the various handling and disposal procedure among the health care personnels.

6. To find out the association between the knowledge regarding Biomedical waste management among health care personnels with their selected demographic variables.

7. To find out the association between the practices regarding the Biomedical waste management among health care personnels with their selected demographic variables.

8. To develop an information booklet on Biomedical waste management among health care personnels.

OPERATIONAL DEFINITION:

1. Biomedical Waste: Biomedical waste (BMW) is any waste produced during the diagnosis, treatment, or immunization of human or animal research.

2. Medical Waste: WHO defines medical waste as waste generated by health care activities, ranging from used needles and syringes to soiled dressings, body parts, diagnostic samples, blood, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, medical devices and radioactive materials.

3. Health Care Personnels: Healthcare Personnel are individuals, both paid and unpaid, who work in healthcare settings and may come into contact with infectious materials like blood, tissue, and body fluids, as well as contaminated supplies and surfaces.

4. Practice: Refers to perform or work at repeatedly so as to become proficient. Practice the act.

5. Knowledge: Facts, information, and skills acquired through experience or education.

6. Descriptive: Descriptive research is a research method describing the characteristics of the population or phenomenon studied.

Variables Under Study:

Variables are qualities, properties or characteristics of person, things or situation that change or very and take on different quantitative value.

There are three types of variables are identified in this study.

1. Independent variables

2. Dependent variables

3. Demographic variables

1. Independent Variables:

Knowledge regarding the Biomedical waste management among health care personnels.

2. Dependent Variables:

Practice regarding Biomedical waste management among health care personnels.

3. Demographic variables:

Age, Gender, religion, Educational Status, Occupation, duration of work experience.

Setting of the Study:

Settings refers to the area where the study is conducted, it is the physical location and condition in which data collection takes place. The investigator selected Akash hospital and research Center at Devanahalli for the present study.

Target Population:

Target population refers to complete set of observations or measurements about which we would like to draw conclusions. The population consists of ‘all health care personnels at selected hospital, Devanahalli, Bangalore.’

Sample:

Sample refers to subset of population selected to participate in the research study, in this study 60 health care personnels at selected hospital, Devanahalli, Bangalore is selected as the sample.

Sampling Technique:

Non randomiszed purposive sampling technique.

Criteria for selection of tools:

A. Inclusion criteria: Study included

a. Both male and female health care workers who are willing to participate

b. Able to read and write Kannada and English

c. Health care workers who are working at Akash hospital

d. Health care workers who are between the age group of 20-60years.

B. Exclusion Criteria:

a. Those who are not willing to give consent for participation in study.

Selection and Development of Tools:

Data collection tools are the procedure or instruments used by the researcher to observe or measure the key variables in the study. The investigator developed a structured knowledge questionnaire and modified practice scale to assess the knowledge and practice regarding biomedical waste management among health care personnels.

· Selection of Tools: A structured knowledge questionnaire was opted to assess the knowledge and self-reported practices regarding biomedical waste management among health care personnels.

· Development of Tools: A structured knowledge questionnaire was opted to assess the knowledge and self-reported practices regarding biomedical waste management among health care personnels. The following steps were carried out in preparing tool.

· Literature review.

· Preparation of a blueprint.

· Consultation with guide, station, subject experts.

· Establishment of validity and reliability

Description of Tool:

In the present study, structured knowledge questionnaire and yes or no questionnaire were used the structured knowledge questionnaire consists of three sections.

Section-A:

Consists of demographic data with 7 items used to collect the simple characteristics of the patients which comprises of age, gender, educational status, occupation, duration of work experience, frequency of attending training, work place.

Section-B:

Consists of 30 items of knowledge questionnaire, it was developed on selected knowledge aspects regarding biomedical waste management among health using multiple choice questions.

Section-C

Consists of 30 items of practice questionnaire it was modified as health care personnels self-reported practice scale to improve patient knowledge regarding biomedical waste management among health care personnels in selected hospitals of Devanahalli.

Scoring Interpretation:

Consists of a modified practice scale 30 items regarding biomedical waste management among health care personnels. The scale consists of 30 self-reported practice questionnaires with 1 point assigned those items that are 'Yes’ and 0 point to those 'No’. The minimum score obtained on the rating scale is 0 and the maximum score obtained is 30, the score ranges from 0-30 and the total score is 30.

Scoring:

Low selfcare practice-0-10

Moderate selfcare practice-11-20

High selfcare practice-21-30

Scoring:

The structured knowledge questionnaire consists of 30 questions each correct answer will be give 1 score and the wrong answer 0. The score ranges from 0-30, and the total score is 30.

Scoring	Percentage
0-10 Inadequate (K)	50%
11-20moderate (K)	50% to 51-60%
21-30 adequate (K)	61% and above

Data analysis: Descriptive and Deferential statistics were used for data analysis the level of used for significance was set at 0.05 level.

RESULTS:

The major findings of the study are:

Demographic variables:

Age: The data reveals that majority of health care personnels 19(63.3%) were in age group of 20-29 years, 3(10%) were in age group of 30-39, 8(26.7%) were in age group of 40-49 years and 0(0%) were in age group of above 50 years.

Gender:

The data reveals that majority of health care personnels 18 (60%) were male and only 12(40%) female.

Educational Status of Health Care Personnels:

The data reveals that majority of health care personnels 30(100%) were graduate, 0(0%) are illiterate, 0(0%) are primary, 0(0%) are secondary.

Occupation of health care workers:

The data reveals majority 28(93.3%) of the health care personnels are nurses, 2(6.7%) are lab technician, 0(0%) are doctors and others.

Duration of work experience:

The table reveals that majority of health care personnels 13(43.3%) are having >2 years experience, 9(30%) having 1–2-year experience, 5(16.7,%) having < 6-year experience, 3(10%) having 6 -1-year experience.

Frequency of attending training in bmw management:

The table reveals that majority of health care personnels 14(46.6%) attended 2 time, 12(40%) attended >2-time, 3 (10%) not attended, 1(3.33%) attended 1 time.

Work place:

The table reveals that majority of health care personnels 19(63.3%) work at general ward and opd, 8(26.6%) work at ICU/CCU, 2(6.6%) work at lab and 1(3.3%) work at infection control unit.

1) The First objectives was to assess the knowledge on Biomedical waste Management of health care personnels. Among the health care personnels 80% of them had moderate knowledge on Biomedical waste management only 20% of then had inadequate knowledge and 0 % of them had adequate knowledge.

Knowledge on Biomedical waste management of health care Personnels:

Knowledge of health care personnels	Frequency	Percentage
(0-10) Inadequate knowledge	6	20
(11-20) Moderate knowledge	24	80
(21-30) Adequate knowledge	0	0
Total	30	100

Among health care personnels 80% of them had moderate knowledge on Biomedical waste management. 20% of them had inadequate knowledge, and 0% of them had adequate knowledge.

2) The Second objectives was to determine the level of self reported practice regarding Biomedical waste management among health care personnels. Among 30 health care personnels 86.7% of them had moderate bmw management practice only 13.3% of them had adequate bmw management practice and none of them had Inadequate bmw management practice.

Level of self care practices regarding Biomedical waste management among health care personnels using a practice rating scale.

Self care practice of health care personnels	Frequency	Percentage
(0-10) Inadequate practice	0	0
(11-20) Moderate practice	26	86.7
(21-30) Adequate practice	4	13.3
Total	30	100

The data presented in table no.9 reveals that majority of health care personnels 26(86.7%) of them have moderate self-reported practice. Only 4(13.3%) of them had adequate practice level and none of them had Inadequate self reported practice.

3) Association of knowledge with demographic variables. None of the demographic variables show any significant association with knowledge regarding Biomedical waste management among health care personnels. But data shows that knowledge regarding Biomedical waste management was better among lower age groups (20-29 years) when compared to higher age groups. Knowledge was better among females when compared to males. Data reveals that as when experience level increased there was increased knowledge on Biomedical waste management.

4) Association of practice with demographic variables:

None of the demographic variables show any statistically significant association with self reported practices regarding Biomedical waste management amoung health care personnels. But data shows that practice was better among Lower age group when compared to lower age groups. Also, practice was better among female when compared to males.

CONCLUSION:

The main focus of the study was to assess the knowledge and self-reported practice regarding biomedical waste management among health care personnels in specific hospitals at Devanahalli. The present study findings showed that the difference in knowledge level among health care personnels is not statistically significant. Significant association with their knowledge and practice of biomedical waste management among health care personnels with demographic variables such as age, gender, education, occupation, duration of work experience, frequency of attending training in BMW management, work place.

This indicates that an effective program of health education must be instituted in health care personnels with view to encourage the knowledge level and healthy practices for welfare of the society.

REFERENCE:

1. Rajiv Kumar, Anil Kumar Gupta, Arun Kumar Agarwal and Ashok Kumar. A descriptive study on evaluation of Biomedical waste management in tertiary care public hospital of North India. Journel of Environmental Health Sciences and Engineering. 2014.

2. Rao PH. Hospital waste management system -a case study of South India city waste management Res. 2009

3. The biomedical waste management http://envfor.nic.in/legis/hsm/biomed.html

4. Rajan R, Robin DT, Vandanarani M. Biomedical waste management in Ayurveda hospitals- current practices and future prospectives. J Ayurveda Integr Med. 2019; 10(3): 214-21.

5. Singh N, Ogunseitan OA, Tang Y. Medical waste: Current challenges and future opportunities for sustainable management. Crit Rev Environ Sci Techn. 2022; 52(11): 2000-22.

6. Neupane S. Legal service network and law resources portal, biomedical waste management in hospitals. Legal India [Internet]. [Cited 2016 September 2] Available From: http://www. legalindia.in/bio-medical-waste-management-in hospitals.

7. New Delhi: Ministry of Environment and Forests Notification; 2000. Biomedical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules

8. Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules, 2016. In: the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, Section 3, Sub-Section (i), Government of India Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. Notification; New Delhi, the 28th March, 2016. (in press)

9. Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice about Biomedical Waste Management among Healthcare Workers during COVID-19 Pandemic in a Health District of West Bengal

10. Dalui, Anirban, Banerjee, Sitikantha; Roy, Ramaprasad Singh N, Ogunseitan OA, Tang Y. Medical waste: Current challenges and future opportunities for sustainable management. Crit Rev Environ Sci Techn. 2022; 52(11): 2000-22.

11. Patil AD, Shekdar AV. Health-care waste management in India. J Environ Manage. 2001; 63(2): 211-20.

Received on 26.12.2024 Revised on 14.04.2025

Accepted on 12.06.2025 Published on 16.08.2025

Available online from August 25, 2025

Int. J. Nursing Education and Research. 2025;13(3):140-144.

DOI: 10.52711/2454-2660.2025.00030

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Creative Commons License.