A Green Practice for Nurses in Health Facilities: Recycling

Abstract

The reason for existence of health institutions is to protect and improve the health of the society.While providing these services, some undesirable negative effects on the environment. These include radiation, climate change and environmental pollution as a result of greenhouse gases produced by burning medical waste, etc. can be given as an example. “the result of greenhouse gases are climate change and environmental pollution from medical waste disposal and radiation cause some of these” Today, as a result of the widespread use of disposable materials in health institutions, the amount of waste increases significantly. The wastes produced in health institutions have an environmental and economic value. Nurses, who constitute a large proportion of healthcare professionals worldwide and use medical supplies the most, can contribute to transforming this waste into economic value by becoming aware of the recyclable wastes generated during healthcare and separating them at their source. In addition, they can be role models for other professions by adopting and executing environmentally sensitive nursing practices. In this review, the benefits of recycling in health institutions, recyclable medical materials, examples of successful applications, obstacles and solution suggestions in recycling applications, nurses' responsibilities in recycling applications are examined.

Keywords

• Environment
• recycling
• nurse
• health facilities
• green practice

Sağlık Kuruluşlarında Hemşireler İçin Yeşil Bir Uygulama: Geri Dönüşüm

Abstract

Sağlık kuruluşlarının varlık nedeni, toplumun sağlığını korumak ve geliştirmektir. Bu hizmetleri verirken çevre üzerinde istenmeyen bazı olumsuz etkileri de bulunmaktadır. Bunlara radyasyon, tıbbı atıkların yakılmasıyla oluşan sera gazları sonucu iklim değişikliği ve çevre kirliliği vb. örnek verilebilir. Günümüzde sağlık kuruluşlarında tek kullanımlık malzemelerin yaygın olarak kullanılması sonucu atık miktarları belirgin bir şekilde artış göstermektedir. Sağlık kuruluşlarında üretilen atıkların çevresel ve ekonomik açıdan bir değeri bulunmaktadır. Dünya genelinde sağlık çalışanları içinde büyük bir orana sahip olan ve tıbbi malzemeleri en fazla kullanan hemşireler, sağlık sunumu sırasında oluşan geri dönüştürülebilir atıkların farkına vararak ve bu atıkları kaynağında ayırarak bu ekonomik değere dönüştürülmesine katkı sağlayabilirler. Bunun yanı sıra çevreye duyarlı hemşirelik uygulamalarını benimseyerek ve yürüterek de diğer mesleklere rol model olabilirler. Bu derlemede sağlık kuruluşlarında geri dönüşümün faydaları, geri dönüştürülebilecek tıbbi malzemeler, başarılı uygulama örnekleri, geri dönüşüm uygulamalarında engeller ve çözüm önerileri (yaklaşımları), geri dönüşüm uygulamalarında hemşirenin sorumlulukları incelenmiştir.

Keywords

• Çevre
• geri dönüşüm
• hemşire
• sağlık kurumları
• yeşil uygulama

References

1. Kubicki MA, McGain F, O'Shea CJ, Bates S. Auditing an intensive care unit recycling program. Crit Care Resusc. 2015;17(2):135-40.
2. Gaudry J, Skiehar K. Promoting environmentally responsible health care. Can Nurse. 2007;103(1):22-6.
3. Johnson SW. Summarizing green practices in US hospitals. Hosp Top. 2010;88(3):75-81.
4. Ogden J. Blue wrap recycling: it can be done!. AORN Journal. 2009;89(4):739-43.
5. Arı E, Yılmaz V. A proposed Structural Model for housewives' recycling behavior: a case study from Turkey. Ecological Economics.2016;129:132-42.
6. Huffling K, Schenk E. Environmental sustainability in the intensive care unit: challenges and solutions. Crit Care Nurs Q. 2014;37(3):235-50.
7. Middletown Thrall Library. [Internet]. Going green. [cited 2022 March 21]. Available from: https://www.thrall.org/special/goinggreen.html
8. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. [Internet]. Green practices at EPA. 2022. [cited 2022 March 21]. Available from: https://www.epa.gov/ greeningepa/green-practices-epa

9. Çilhoroz Y, Oğuz I. Yeşil hastane sertifika sistemleri. Sağlık Bilimleri ve Meslekleri Dergisi. 2019;6(1):161-9.
10. Süt Nİ, Hamurcu M, Eren T. Kampüste yeşil ulaşım uygulaması: ring araçlarının seçimi için bir karar verme süreci. Gazi Mühendislik Bilimleri Dergisi.2019;5(1):9-21.
11. Tyler A. Every nurse can be" green". Nursing. 2011;41(7):14.
12. Türk Dil Kurumu. [Internet]. Geri dönüşüm. 2017. [cited 2017 April 19]. Available from: http://www.tdk.gov.tr
13. Largo-Wight E, Bian H, Lange L. An empirical test of an expanded version of the theory of Planned Behavior in predicting recycling behavior on campus. AJHE. 2012;43(2):66-73.
14. T.C. Bilim, Sanayi ve Teknoloji Bakanlığı Sanayi Genel Müdürlüğü. Ulusal Geri Dönüşüm Strateji Belgesi ve Eylem Planı (2014-2017). [cited 2016 September 15]. Available from: http://www.resmigazete.gov.tr/ eskiler/2014/12/20141230M1-12-1.pdf
15. Environmental Protection Agency. Reusable totes, blue wrap recycling and composting. Environmental Best Practices for Healthcare, 2002. [cited 2016 November 20]. Available from: https://www3.epa. gov/region9/waste/p2/projects/hospital/totes.pdf
16. Riedel LM. Environmental and financial impact of a Hospital Recycling Program. AANA Journal. 2011;79(4):8-14.
17. McDermott-Levy R. The Nurse’s role on green teams: an environmental health opportunity. Pa Nurse. 2011;66:17-21.
18. Çevre Koruma ve Ambalaj Atıklarını Değerlendirme Vakfı (ÇEVKO). Çevresel fayda. 2017. [cited 2017 March 18]. Available from: www.çevko. org
19. McDermott-Levy R, Fazzini C. Identifying the key personnel in a nurse-initiated Hospital Waste Reduction Program. Nurs Adm Q. 2010;34(4):306–10.
20. World Health Organization. Health-care waste. Fact sheet No. 253, November 2015. [cited 2017 March 18]. Available from: http://www. who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs253/en/
21. McGain F, Jarosz KM, Nguyen MNHH, Bates S, O’Shea CJ. Auditing operating room recycling: a management case report. A&A Case Reports. 2015;5(3):47-50.
22. Manzi S, Nichols A, Richardson J. A Non-Participant observational study of health and social care waste disposal behaviour in the South West of England. J Health Serv Res Policy.2014;19(4):231-5.
23. Laustsen G. Greening in healthcare. Nurs Manage. 2010;41(11):26- 31.
24. McGain F, Story D, Hendel S. An Audit of intensive care unit recyclable waste. Anaesthesia.2009;64(12):1299-302.
25. World Health Organization. Safe management of wastes from health-care activities [e-book]. 2nd ed. WHO Press; 2014. [cited 2016 Nov 5]. Available from: http://www.searo.who.int/srilanka/documents/ safe_management_of_wastes_from_healthcare_activities.pdf?ua=1
26. Lee BK, Ellenecker M J, Moure-Eraso R. Analyses of the recycling potential of medical plastic wastes. Waste Manag.b2002;22:461-70.
27. Albert MG, Rothkopf DM. Operating room waste reduction in plastic and hand surgery. Plast Surg. 2015;23(4):235-8.
28. Arévalo LC, Carrillo-Martínez CM. Reuse and recycling practices in a Colombian Hospital. AORN Journal. 2007;86(5):791-7.
29. Vinyl Council of Australia. PVC recycling in hospitals. [cited 2016 Nov 18]. Available from: https://www.vinyl.org.au/images/vinyl/ Sustainability/PVCRecoveryInHospitals.pdf
30. Melamed A. Environmental accountability in perioperative settings. AORN Journal. 2003;77(6):1157-68.
31. Healthcare Plastics Recycling Council. HospiCycle. [homepage on the Internet] [cited 2016 Nov 18]. Available from: http://www.hprc.org/ hospicycle
32. Practice Greenhealth. Spectrum Health:Medical plastics recycling in the OR. 2011. [cited 2016 Nov 18]. Available from: https:// practicegreenhealth.org/sites/default/files/upload-files/casestudy_ spectrum_r5_web.pdf
33. Martin DM, Yanez CND, Treggiari, MM. An Initiative to optimize waste streams in the operating room: RECycling in the Operating Room (RECOR) Project. AANA Journal. 2017;85(2):108-12.
34. Wormer BA, Augenstein VA, Carpenter CL, Burton VB, Yokoley WT, Prabhu AS, et al. The green operating room: simple changes to reduce cost and our carbon footprint. Am Surg. 2013;79:666-71.
35. Wyssusek KH, Foong WM, Steel C, Gillespie BM. The Gold in garbage: implementing a waste segregation and recycling initiative. AORN Journal. 2016;103(3):316.
36. Gürgen Şimşek H. Hemşirelerin geri dönüşüm davranışlarını geliştirmede Hastane Geri Dönüşüm Programı’nın etkinliğinin değerlendirilmesi. [Doktora tezi]. [İzmir]: Ege Üniversitesi; 2018.
37. Dönmez A, Keskin G. Anestezi ile ilgili tıbbi atıkların bertaraf maliyetlerini azaltmada eğitimin rolü. JARSS. 2021;29(3):178-183.
38. Grose J, Bennallick M, Nichols A, Pahl S, Richardson J. Facilitating sustainable waste management behaviors within the health sector: a case study of the National Health Service (NHS) in Southwest England, UK. Sustainability. 012; 4(4):630-42.
39. Haron SA, Paim L, Yahaya N. Towards sustainable consumption: an examination of environmental knowledge among Malaysians. International IJC. 2005;29(5):426-36.
40. Goyal J, Bansal M. The study of hospital waste recycling process. International Journal of Current Engineering and Technology. 2016;6(3):830-3.
41. Laustsen G. Reduce–recycle–reuse: guidelines for promoting perioperative waste management. AORN Journal. 2007;85(4):717-28.
42. Moore A. Going green. Nursing Standard. 2005;19(31):24-6.
43. World Health Organization (WHO). State of the world's nursing 2020: investing in education, jobs and leadership. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2020. [Cited 2023 Sept 13].Available from: https://www. who.int/publications/i/item/9789240003279
44. American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). Toward an environmentally sustainable academic enterprise: An AACN guide for nursing education, 2011. [Cited 2016 Nov 18]. Available from: http:// www.aacn.nche.edu/about-aacn/Sustainability.pdf
45. Muñoz A. Reducing health care's carbon footprint-the power of nursing. Workplace Health Saf. 2012;60(11):471-4.
46. Canadian Nurses Association (CNA). The ecosystem, the natural environment and health and nursing: a summary of the issues. CNA Backgrounder 2006. [Cited 2016 Apr 30]. Available from: https://www. cna-aiic.ca/~/media/cna/page-content/pdf-en/bg4_the_ecosystem_e. pdf?la=en
47. Kwakye G, Brat GA, Makary MA. Green surgical practices for health care. Arch Surg.2011; 146(2):131-6.
48. International Council of Nurses (ICN). Health care waste: role of nurses and nursing, 2010. [Cited 2016 Nov 15]. Available from: http:// www.icn.ch/images/stories/documents/publications/position_ statements/E07_Medical_Waste.pdf
49. International Council of Nursing (ICN). Nurses: A voice to lead- Achieving the sustainable development goals, 2017. [Cited 2017 Feb 10].Available from:https://www.icnvoicetolead.com/wp-content/ uploads/2017/04/ICN_AVoiceToLead_guidancePack-9.pdf
50. United Nations General Assembly. Transforming our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 2015. Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 25 September 2015. In: Proceedings of the Seventieth Session, 2015. [Cited 2022 Nov 15]. Available from: https://www.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/resource-pdf/Resolution_A_ RES_70_1_EN.pdf