Assessment of Nurses' Practice and Potential Barriers Regarding the Medical Waste Management at Hamad Medical Corporation in Qatar: A Cross‑Sectional Study

Background The improper management of wastes generated in healthcare facilities can severely affect the health of caregivers, patients, and members of the community. Medical waste management can be achieved with the cooperation of all workers and patients; however, nursing personnel plays a significant role in the whole process. Therefore, nurses need to be well equipped with skills and practices in managing medical waste. This will result in the reduction of risks and hazards to their health. This study is done to assess the practice of nursing professionals regarding waste management across Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) hospitals in Doha and to identify the potential barriers toward medical waste management Methods An analytical cross‑sectional study conducted at four governmental hospitals in Doha city; Hamad General Hospital (HGH), Women's Hospital (WH), Rumiallalh Hospital (RH), and Al-Amal hospital. A stratified proportionate random sampling method was employed to recruit 420 nurses. Results The response rate among nurses was 82.3%, with most of them being females and non-Qatari. Overall, the correct practice of color-coding of different waste categories among nurses was 92.8%. Unavoidable exposure was identified by 60.3% of nurses as a barrier to waste management, and nurses working at the intensive care unit reported it at the highest percentage (67.2%) Conclusions The majority of nurses showed correct practice and could correctly match the color-coding of different waste categories. Unavoidable exposure and excessive production of waste were the most reported barriers. Excessive production of waste and unavoidable exposure should be further evaluated by quantifying medical waste and addressing appropriate control strategies tackling the identified barriers.