title: Need for radiation safety education for interventional cardiology staff, especially nurses.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Cardiac interventional radiology (IR) can cause radiation injury to the staff who administer it as well as to patients. Although education in the basic principles of radiation is required for nurses, their level of radiation safety knowledge is not known. The present study used a questionnaire protocol to assess the level of radiation safety knowledge among hospital nurses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A questionnaire to assess the level of training and current understanding of radiation safety was administered to 305 nurses in 2008 and again to 359 nurses in 2010. Our study indicates that nurses had insufficient knowledge about radiation safety, and that a high percentage of nurses were concerned about the health hazards of radiation. Moreover, more than 80% of the nurses expressed an interest in attending periodic radiation safety seminars. Annual radiation protection training for hospital staff (including nurses) is important.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that nurses do not have sufficient knowledge of radiation safety and should receive appropriate radiation safety training. Many had a minimal understanding of radiation and thus had significant concerns about the safety of working with radiation. Periodic radiation safety education/training for nurses is essential.
authors.forename: Yoshiaki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Morishima
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chida
authors.forename: Yoshiaki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Katahira
authors.forename: Hatsuo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Seto
authors.forename: Hiroo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chiba
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tabayashi
mesh_terms: D002309:Cardiology / Q000379:methods; D004521:Educational Measurement; D005471:Fluoroscopy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000193:education*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016272:Occupational Health / Q000193:education*; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011835:Radiation Protection / Q000379:methods*; D015641:Radiography, Interventional / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods / Q000451:nursing; D013192:Staff Development / Q000379:methods; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Fluoroscopically guided procedures; nurse; patient radiation exposure; questionnaire; radiation protection; radiation safety