Waste Management: a descriptive-exploratory study in the emergency room of a teaching hospital

Aim: To discover the vision of individuals working in the emergency room of a teaching hospital on the management of hospital waste. Method: this is a descriptive-exploratory study, in which a qualitative approach was used. It was conducted with 17 employees and students in the health field, working in an emergency room. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and non-participant observation, and analyzed based on the framework for content analysis. Results: The data showed that the participants are lacking in terms of knowledge on the subject, which is mainly influenced by factors such as a lack of approach on the topic and issues related to the work carried out in emergency rooms. In-service education is seen as a good strategy in the search for an effective commitment to the environmental cause. Conclusion: The approach to the topic through training and continuing education are pathways towards the sensitization of workers regarding waste management.