Abstract
BACKGROUND: Radiation exposure is a significant occupational hazard for operating room nurses, yet their knowledge and practice of radiation protection are often inadequate. Enhancing nurses’ clinical capability in this area is crucial for safety and quality care. Multimedia-based education offers an effective, flexible approach to improve learning and adherence to safety protocols. This study aimed to determine the effect of multimedia-based education on nurses’ clinical capability in radiation protection in operating rooms. METHODS: This randomized controlled trial was conducted on 100 operating room nurses from two hospitals affiliated with Shiraz University of Medical Sciences between June and December 2024. Participants were randomly assigned to the intervention (n = 50) and control (n = 50) groups. The intervention group received a two-week multimedia-based educational program on radiation protection via WhatsApp, while the control group received routine hospital training. Primary outcomes included clinical capability assessed through a validated questionnaire covering knowledge, attitude, performance, and personal commitment, measured at baseline, one month, and two months post-intervention. RESULTS: After the intervention, the intervention group showed significant improvements in all dimensions of clinical capability, including knowledge, attitude, performance, and personal commitment, compared to the control group. Clinical capability scores at one and two months post-intervention were significantly higher in the intervention group (all p < 0.001). The effect sizes ranged from 0.79 to 2.73, indicating large effects. ANCOVA analysis revealed a significant interaction between group and time (F = 32.8, p < 0.001), confirming that the improvements over time were greater in the intervention group than the control group after adjusting for baseline values. CONCLUSION: Therefore, we recommend implementing multimedia-based education to enhance clinical capability in radiation protection among operating room nurses. TRAIL REGISTRATION NUMBER: Registration number IRCT20211129053216N1 on March 19, 2024 (https://www.irct.ir).