School Health Nurses’ Attitudes and Behaviors Toward Medical Waste Management

Background: Within the scope of health services provided in school settings, medical waste management is crucial for both environmental health and student safety.
Aim: This study aimed to determine the attitudes and behaviors of school health nurses in Türkiye toward medical waste.
Methods: This descriptive study collected data using the Descriptive Information Form and the Medical Waste Attitude and Behavior Scale (MWABS) via Google Forms between February and April 2025. The required sample size was calculated as 158 based on an effect size of 0.58, a 5% margin of error, and 95% power using G*Power. Invitations were distributed through social media platforms (LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook) to individuals identified as practicing school health nursing in Türkiye. A total of 158 participants were recruited using the snowball sampling method. Data were analyzed using the Mann–Whitney U test and the Kruskal–Wallis test.
Results: Of the participants, 90.5% were female, and the mean age was 31.98±9.47 years. Additionally, 57.6% were employed in the public sector, 46.8% reported that their institutions did not have a medical waste management plan, and 68.4% had not received training on medical waste management. Nurses working in private schools, those who had received medical waste management training, and those familiar with waste management procedures had higher MWABS scores (p<0.05). The mean MWABS score was 94.06±28.77.
Conclusion: School health nurses demonstrated moderate attitudes toward medical waste management. Nearly half of the schools lacked a formal management plan. Strengthening training programs and implementing waste management plans are recommended.

Keywords: Attitude, behavior, medical waste, nurses, school health