Personal dosimeter use in nuclear medicine: A study on staff compliance and monitoring

This study investigated radiation workers' compliance and satisfaction in using personal dosimeters at the Nuclear Medicine Facility of Dr. Sardjito General Hospital, Yogyakarta. Personal dosimeter use is mandated by BAPETEN Regulation No. 4 of 2013 to monitor individual radiation doses with devices such as TLDs, OSLDs, and TLD rings. Employing a convergent parallel mixed-method design, data were collected through observation, interviews, questionnaires, and documentation from 17 radiation officers (nuclear medicine specialist, radiation protection officer, radiographer, radio-pharmacist, and nurse) with probability sampling selected based on inclusion criteria: working in the nuclear medicine installation, directly exposed to radiation, willingness become respondents. Quantitative analysis used the Shapiro-Wilk test, Kruskal-Wallis test, and Dunn post hoc test. Results revealed full compliance with personal dosimeter use despite the absence of a formal reward or punishment system. Satisfaction levels were high, with most workers reporting being satisfied to very satisfied. Factors supporting compliance included training, knowledge, comfort, socialization, and individual motivation. These findings highlight that compliance is shaped not only by regulatory requirements but also by psychosocial and managerial influences. The study contributes to radiation protection literature and provides practical recommendations for enhancing hospital safety management systems.