The Effect of Nurses' Radiation Protection Knowledge and Safety Awareness on Safety Behaviour: A Cross-Sectional...

Nurses' understanding of radiation protection and their awareness of safety procedures are essential in reducing occupational exposure and maintaining a safe clinical environment.

This study aims to examine how nurses' radiation protection knowledge and their level of safety awareness influence their safety behaviours.

A cross-sectional correlational design was used. The study was conducted between June and August 2023 with 321 nurses employed in a hospital in the largest province of Türkiye. Data were collected using the Healthcare Professional Knowledge of Radiation Protection Scale, the Safety Awareness and Competence Scale and the Safety Behaviour Scale. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to evaluate the predictive effects of radiation knowledge and safety awareness on safety behaviour.

Nurses demonstrated low levels of radiation protection knowledge (3.29 ± 1.88), whereas their safety awareness was high (4.01 ± 0.65), and their safety behaviour scores were above average (3.70 ± 0.73). Safety behaviour showed a moderate positive correlation with radiation protection knowledge (r = 0.270, p < 0.001) and a strong positive correlation with safety awareness (r = 0.608, p < 0.001). Regression results demonstrated that both variables significantly predicted safety behaviour (R² = 0.385, p < 0.001).

Radiation protection knowledge and safety awareness together explained 38.5% of the variance in nurses' safety behaviour. These findings highlight the need for structured and continuous in-service training on radiation protection. In addition, institutional and national policies should be strengthened to support sustainable radiation protection practices in clinical settings.