Dissertation

Biosafety Knowledge, Practice, and Perception Among Students at an Academic Medical Center: A Survey Validation by Field Professionals

Griffin, Yolanda S

2017

Overview

Biosafety should be a top priority in academic medical centers. Academic medical centers are unique in that they are composed of a diverse population. Students and employees are important populations in terms of safety and compliance. These two groups make up various education levels and job descriptions. Significant differences also exist between the clinical and research arenas in an academic medical center. Clinical personnel may be exposed to a variety of pathogens in blood and body fluids. Where, laboratory personnel deal with very specific pathogens. Therefore, appropriate training geared toward each educational program and employee job duties can be very difficult to develop and the training must be tailored appropriately. The importance of biosafety when handling or being potentially exposed to microorganisms and other infectious materials must be recognized by students and employees. The goal of biosafety is to minimize risk to students and employees. In order to minimize this risk, students and employees must be knowledgeable and aware of biosafety. Individuals must first understand the best practices and procedures for achieving biosafety. This study was conducted at a large academic medical center. The survey population consisted of field professionals. The professions represented were physicians, nurses, researchers, and laboratory technologist. The survey inquiries about biosafety knowledge, practice, and perception. The survey questions were also validated simultaneously by field professionals. The survey results helped to identify some potentially problematic areas in training as well as difference in training among the clinical and laboratory environments. The outcomes will help to develop an improved and tailored approach to training across different disciplines. Accidental exposures to microorganisms and other infectious materials can cause serious illness and harm to students and employees. Good biosafety practices can reduce the number of accidental exposures to biohazardous materials. By increasing biosafety training and stressing the importance of biosafety practices, the potential for accidental exposure to biohazardous materials will ultimately decrease among students and employees.

• Publisher: ProQuest Dissertations & Theses
• Subject: Occupational safety
• ISBN: 0355455749, 9780355455748