This study is a descriptive research study attempted to provide basic data for managing radiation defense behavior of operating room nurses in small and medium hospitals by identifying radiation defense environment, radiation defense knowledge, and tissue safety atmosphere.
From June 7, 2022 to June 24, 2022, 157 people were conveniently sampled for nurses with more than 3 months of working in operating rooms of small and medium-sized hospitals with more than 100 beds and less than 300 beds for 10 institutions in P Metropolitan City and 3 institutions in U Metropolitan City.
Data analysis used frequency and percentage, mean and standard deviation, t-test and ANOVA, Scheffé test, Pearson''s correlation, and multiple regression analysis.
The results of this study are as follows.

1) In the general characteristics and radiation-related job characteristics of the study subjects, 54.1% were women in terms of gender and 40.1% were in their 20s by age, which is the most identified. 53.5% were single, 67.5% were college graduates, 42.0% have clinical experiences from one to five years, and 43.3% have operating room experience from one to five years, which was most common. Daily radiation exposure time was 33.1% for 1 to 2 hours, and 33.1% for 2 hours or more. When it comes to the anxiety about radiation exposure, 49.7% answered they were worried about it. On the impacts of radiation exposure on the health 36.3% responded yes. And 79.6% had no experience for the radiation education at the current institution. For another sub-factor, 79.6% of the respondents said they haven`t had any education on the question that they have had any experience of the education. And 43.8% said that if they have the chance of being educated, it will helpful for them. Lastly, for the respondents without any educational experience, 88.8% reported that they need the education. For the types of personal radiation equipment and facilities provided at the current workplace, lead aprons accounted for 98.7%. 39.5% reported that the level of radiation defense facilities at the current workplace was average. and on the reason why they are not wearing defense equipment, 60.5% cited the inconvenience as a reason.


2) The radiation defense environment of the subjects in this study averages 26.66±7.64 points out of 50, radiation defense knowledge 8.58±1.72 out of 14, the organization''s safety atmosphere 104.92±16.02 out of 165, in the sub-region of the organization''s safety atmosphere, the hospital''s safety atmosphere 35.99±8.52 points out of 60, department safety atmosphere 68.93±9.03 out of 105, Radiation defense 51.17±11.31 points out of 85.

3) In this study, there was no statistically significant difference in radiation defense knowledge according to the general characteristics of the subjects and radiation-related job characteristics. The organization''s safety atmosphere according to the subject''s general characteristics and radiation-related job characteristics is age (F=3.73, p=.012), daily radiation exposure time (F=2.85, p=.040), radiation exposure anxiety (F=5.61, p<.001), and health impact from radiation exposure (F=5.39, p<.001) and it was found that there was a statistically significant difference in the degree of radiation defense facilities at the current workplace (F=16.30, p<.001). The general characteristics of the subject and radiation-related job characteristics are age (F=0.77, p=.043) and operating room experience (F=2.81, p=.028), and radiation-related job characteristics are daily radiation exposure time (F=4.99 p=.002), radiation exposure anxiety (F=4.66, p=.004), And it was found that there was a statistically significant difference in the degree of radiation defense facilities at the current workplace (F=21.53, p<.001).
4) Analysis of the correlation between radiation defense environment, radiation-related defense knowledge, tissue safety atmosphere, and radiation defense behavior among the study variables shows that the subject''s radiation defense behavior is radiation defense environment (r=.704, p<.001), radiation-related defense knowledge(r=.184, p=.021), which was found that there was a significant positive correlation between the hospital safety atmosphere(r=.613, p<.001) and the department safety atmosphere(r=.490, p<.001), two areas of the organization''s safety atmosphere.

5) The factor affecting the radiation defense behavior of the subject is the radiation defense environment(β=.0412, p<.001). In the two sub-areas of the organization''s safety atmosphere(β=0.222, p=.014), that was found to be the safety atmosphere of the hospital. The explanatory power of these factors for radiation defense behavior was 55.8%.

The above study results show that "1 to 2 hours" and "I''m not sure" in the daily radiation exposure time are influencing the radiation defense behavior of nurses in the operating room of small and medium-sized hospitals. It was found that it was the safety atmosphere of the hospital among the two sub-areas of the radiation defense environment and the safety atmosphere of the organization. Based on the results of this study, it is expected that it can be used as basic data for finding various interventions to work in a safe environment by preparing guidelines to reduce radiation exposure time for nurses in small and medium-sized hospitals, creating a positive radiation defense environment, and establishing a safe atmosphere.