Use of PPE by nursing professionals

Nursing staff are exposed to physical environmental, chemical and biological agents, diseases and accidents at work (ATs) when carrying out procedures in the hospital environment. These risks can be minimised by adopting biosafety measures, including the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Therefore, the aim of this study was to verify the use of PPE by nursing professionals working in the Medical Clinic ward of a medium-sized public hospital located in the city of Picos-PI. The research is exploratory-descriptive in nature, with a quantitative approach and a cross-sectional approach. Data collection took place in March and April 2012 and was made possible by a previously structured questionnaire, divided into two parts: one involving the participants’ socio-demographic data and the other made up of specific questions about PPE. The questionnaire was administered to the nurses and nursing technicians who work in the aforementioned ward.