Insights of nurses regarding healthcare waste management: a cross-sectional, district-level study in hospitals selected from a peripheral region of Sri Lanka

Improper management of healthcare waste poses significant health and environmental hazards. Nurses handle healthcare waste during their day-to-day service, yet data on awareness and practices regarding this matter are limited. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding healthcare waste management (HWM) among nurses working in selected hospitals in the Trincomalee district. A descriptive cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study was carried out among 209 nurses employed in the Trincomalee district. The ‘good’ and ‘poor’ levels of knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding HWM were assessed by a predetermined scoring method. The associations of the level of knowledge, attitudes, and practices with the basic demographics of the participants were analysed separately at the 0.05 significance level. Nearly 87% of the nurses were able to correctly define HWM. Only 32.5% had attended training programmes on HWM. A strong association was observed between participation in training programmes and increased knowledge of HWM (Pearson chi-square test; p = 0.011). Almost 64% of the participants demonstrated a strong willingness to adhere to safe waste-disposal protocols, however only nearly half of the nurses (49.8%) demonstrated good practices related to the use of personal protective equipment. Around 55% of respondents further showed satisfactory waste disposal techniques. However, no significant associations were detected between any of the reported demographics and the levels of practices (p > 0.05). In the overall analysis, respondents with good knowledge (55.1%), positive attitudes (70.8%), and good practices (57.9%) constituted the majority of the sample compared to those with poor knowledge, negative attitudes, or inadequate practices. A substantial proportion of nurses possess good knowledge, positive attitudes, and reasonable practices regarding HWM. Training sessions have had a significant impact on enhancing knowledge and attitudes of nurses toward HWM. Therefore, continuous education and training are important to improve compliance with environmental and health standards.