Risk of Potential Exposure Incident in Non-healthcare Workers in Contact with Infectious and Municipal Waste.

INTRODUCTION: The proper classification of sharp and infectious waste in situ by the healthcare workers is an important measure of prevention of sharps and other exposure incidents in non-healthcare workers, who handle such waste. The aim was to examine the practice of classifying sharp and infectious waste in family and dental practices. METHODS: An analysis of 50 bags of infectious and 50 bags of municipal waste from five family and five dental practices for five days in October 2016 at the Health centre Osijek. RESULTS: Healthcare workers in 70% of the practices deposited sharps in infectious waste. In 56% of infectious waste bags, sharp object were found. More risky bags of infectious waste were produced by family practices (64%), but with no significant differences in relation to dental practices (48%), (P=0.143). Disposing of infectious into municipal waste was the case in 90% of the practitioners, where in 60% of municipal waste bags, infectious waste was disposed. Dental practices produced more risky bags of municipal waste (76%) in relation to family practices (44%), but with no significant difference (P=0.714). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this research point to importance of performing audits of proper disposal of sharps and infectious waste to reduce the risks of injury to non-healthcare workers who come into contact with the said waste. Given results could be used for framing written protocols of proper disposal of sharps and infectious waste that should be visibly available in family and dental practices and for education of healthcare workers.

Development and Psychometric Testing of the Croatian Version of the Job Satisfaction Scale in Hospital Nurses.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The aim of the study was to develop and psychometrically test a Job Satisfaction Survey (JSS) that measures attitudes toward job satisfaction among hospital nurses in Croatia. METHODS: A cross-sectional design was applied with 584 nurses. RESULTS: A seven-factor model of the measure was confirmed relative χ2 = 2.8, goodness of fit index = .9, comparative fit index = .83. The Cronbach's α was 0.83 for the total scale. CONCLUSION: The factor structure of the Croatian version of the JSS was found to be similar to that of the original scale, and it is valid and reliable for measuring attitudes toward job satisfaction among hospital nurses. JSS allows the comparison of self-reported job satisfaction among hospital nurses in different countries and cultures.

Differences in newborn umbilical cord care.

AIM: To investigate the frequency of different cord care practices as well recommendations to parents on cord care, along with the need to identify as well as reach the consensus on best cord care practices and other procedures in newborn care among health workers. METHODS: The study was conducted among 110 health care workers at the nursery departments in two general hospitals, six community-health nursing services and 16 pediatric practices in Eastern Croatia. The questionnaire created for this research has evaluated different cord care practices and recommendations to parents, a need to identify, as well as reach the consensus on best practices in cord care and other procedures in newborn care. RESULTS: Statistically significant differences have been found among respondent groups in three "dry" cord practices (p=0.000, p=0.002, and p=0.004, respectively) and three "wet" cord practices (p=0.000, p=0.001, and p=0.000, respectively). Significant differences were determined in three types of recommendations to parents about the care of "dry" cord (p=0.000, p=0.000, and p=0.002, respectively) and two recommendations for "wet" cord (p =0.000, p=0.000, respectively). The majority of respondents stressed the need for publishing guidelines on cord care, 104 (94.5%), and for other procedures in newborn care, 108 (98.2%). More than a half of respondents, 63 (57.3%), declared the need to reach a national agreement on guidelines for umbilical cord care. CONCLUSION: Healthcare workers employ, as well as recommend, different umbilical cord care practices. It is necessary to prepare and reach a national agreement on written guidelines for umbilical cord care as well as for other procedures in newborn care.