[Conceptions of nursing staff about the exposure to physical and chemical risks in hospital environment]

This study aimed to identify how the nursing team realizes the chemical and physical risks to which it is exposed in the hospital environment. This is a descriptive study, based on an exploratory field research, of quantitative source. Data were collected through a questionnaire administered to 33 professional nursing staff of a general hospital in the northwestern region of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, in the first half of 2011 and were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The workers noticed chemical and physical risks they are exposed and reported to recognize them, however, after the analysis of the responses, we identified knowledge deficit about the scientific conception of physical risk. The continuing health education can be a strategy to update workers on occupational risks.