International Journal of Scientific & Engineering Research, Volume 7, Issue 9, September-2016 23 ISSN 2229-5518 IJSER © 2016 http://www.ijser.org Evaluation of Nurses’ Knowledge of Radiation Protection Practice: A Case Study of Two Hospitals in Calabar, Nigeria. S. O. Paulinus 1* , M. Mgbekem 2 , B. E. Archibong 1 , R. S. O. Paulinus 1 & B. S. Ibe 1 1 Department of Radiography & Radiological Science, College of Medical Sciences, University of Calabar, Calabar. 2 Department of Nursing Science, College of Medical Sciences, University of Calabar, Calabar. *Corresponding Author: Samson Omini Paulinus, Department of Radiography & Radiological Science, College of Medical Sciences, University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria. e-mail: ominips@yahoo.com Phone Number: +234 803 951 5586, +234 818 377 8650 Abstract: Nurses are caregivers often involved in assisting and accompanying patients to the Radiology Department for medical exposure to radiation for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Exposure to ionizing radiation without adequate protection is implicated in causing harm to man. The study was designed to evaluate Nurses’ knowledge of radiation protection practice as direct care givers in the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH) and the General Hospital (GH) both in Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria. A descriptive survey using self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from 220 respondents, selected through simple random sampling technique. Findings revealed that most of the respondents were between age range 22 to 66 with average working experience between 1 year to >21 years. Although, majority of the Nurses (85.0%) like being posted to different wards, only 1.0% like to work in the Department of Radiology, 26.5% inferring that radiation is dangerous. About 50.0% assessment of the respondents had adequate knowledge on the value of radiation as being diagnostic and therapeutic in medical science, 35.5% identified the need to use lead apron for protection, 40.5% said time, distance and barrier were the essential basic protective measures and 90.0% of the respondents had no knowledge on the Protection of Persons Undergoing Medical Exposure or Treatment (POPUMET) regulations with poor attendance on radiation protection training. The study suggests that training of Nurses on this important aspect of care is either absent or appears to be insufficient. It is therefore recommended that conscious efforts be made to train Nurses on the POPUMET regulations in the studied health care institutions. Keywords: Knowledge, Nurses, POPUMET, Radiology, Radiation, Radiation protection. ——————————  —————————— Introduction: The increasing use of radiation in form of waves or particles emitted from a source travelling through space which can transmit all or part of its energy on contact with matter ‘’’[1]’’ in diagnostic and therapeutic imaging science, is unquestionably beneficial to man and his environment. Soon after the discovery of x-rays, with its subsequent introduction into medical practice, it became apparent that radiation was not only useful in the diagnosis and treatment of different human body ailments but also harmful to man ‘’[2]’’. However, per-capital exposure to medical radiation has grown some six fold in the last two decades and still appears to be on the increase ‘’[2]’’. The principles of radiation protection (effective measures and procedures or techniques used to protect personnel, patients and the general public from unnecessary exposure to ionizing radiation ) ‘’ [3]’’ are achieving central importance for the health of both the patient and the radiation professional. Radiation damage can manifest in many ways including skin erythema, hair loss, vascular damage, internal bleeding, cataracts, cancers, weakening immune systems, sterility and mutation in offspring, premature ageing and death ‘’[1]’’. While there is an increasing patient awareness that unnecessary radiation exposure from x-rays can cause health problems, most patients have no knowledge that the dangers of ionizing radiation, due to medical imaging, can reach atomic bomb levels ‘’[4]’’.Nurses are highly trained and skilled professionals who care for the sick and infirm, and also help to educate patients on the issue of healthy living and wellness as wells as chronic disease processes and treatment ‘’[5]’’. Nurses and other health professionals (non-radiation workers) who work as a team usually assist and accompany patients (especially the critically ill) to the Departments of Radiology or sometimes Radiotherapy for examination (medical exposure) and for further evaluation. This study sought to evaluate Nurses’ knowledge of radiation protection practice as the primary direct care givers in the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH) and the General Hospital (GH) both in Calabar, Cross River State of Nigeria. Materials and method: A simple random sampling technique (a heterogeneous population with every member having an equal chance of being selected) was used to select Nurses from UCTH and GH, Calabar. A self-administered questionnaire was used to obtain data from 250 Nurses (14 males and 236 females) interviewed. The questionnaire was subjected to validity and reliability test-retest on Nurses IJSER