Adherence to Radiation Protection Principles among Operating Room Students: Implications for Clinical Recommendations and Educational Interventions

Background Due to the increasing use of ionizing radiation in the operating room environment, concerns about the potential risks of this type of radiation have increased. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the level of knowledge, attitudes, and performance of last semester operating room nursing and anesthesia students toward radiation protection principles for their presence in the clinical educational environment. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted at Hamadan University of Medical Sciences in 2024. In this study, students were selected via the census sampling method. The data related to the study were collected from valid questionnaires concerning the participants’ level of knowledge, attitudes, and performance toward ionizing radiation. Additionally, the data analysis was conducted at the descriptive and inferential statistics level via SPSS version 16 software. Results Students' knowledge, attitudes, and performance in both operating room nursing and anesthesia were moderate. Additionally, the mean attitude score toward protective principles was significantly greater among operating room nursing students than among anesthesia students (P value = 0.023). Furthermore, a positive and significant correlation was found between students' grade point average (GPA) and their scores on knowledge and attitudes toward protective principles (r = 0.449, P value = 0.000 and r = 0.648, P value = 0.000, respectively). Conclusion This study revealed an insufficient level of knowledge among the mentioned students regarding ionizing radiation. As a result, training courses should be conducted to increase students' knowledge and attitudes toward the risks of ionizing radiation, thereby improving their safety in the clinical educational environment. Clinical Trial Number: Not applicable.