Adherence to Radiation Protection Principles in the Clinical Environment among Anesthesia and Operating Room Nursing Students: Implications for Educational Interventions

The increasing use of ionizing radiation in clinical environments, particularly during surgeries such as orthopedics and neurosurgery, has heightened concerns about the potential health risks associated with this type of radiation. This issue is particularly relevant for nursing students undergoing training in operating room settings, where they are frequently exposed to various sources of radiation. To effectively implement radiation protection principles, it is crucial to evaluate the knowledge and attitudes of the students toward ionizing radiation. Understanding their level of awareness and beliefs about radiation safety will inform the development of targeted training programs aimed at minimizing exposure and enhancing safety in clinical environments.

This study aimed to investigate the level of knowledge, attitudes, and performance of 8th-semester undergraduate anesthesia and operating room nursing students toward radiation protection principles.

This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Hamadan University of Medical Sciences in 2024. In this study, students were selected via the census sampling method. The data related to the study were collected from valid questionnaires concerning the participants’ level of knowledge, attitudes, and performance toward ionizing radiation. The data analysis was also conducted at the descriptive and inferential statistics level via SPSS version 16 software.

The knowledge, attitudes, and performance of the students in both fields were inadequate compared to the ideal standards. Additionally, the mean attitude score toward protective principles was significantly greater among operating room nursing students than anesthesia nursing students (p-value = 0.023). Furthermore, a positive and significant correlation was found between students' Grade Point Average (GPA) and their scores on knowledge and attitudes toward protective principles (r = 0.449, p-value = 0.000 and r = 0.648, p-value = 0.000, respectively).

This study revealed that the level of knowledge among students regarding ionizing radiation is lower than the desired standards for ensuring safety in clinical environments. As a result, it is essential to implement targeted training courses to enhance students' understanding of the risks associated with ionizing radiation.