Introduction

. The World Health Organization recommends three basic principles on waste management: reducing unnecessary waste, separating ordinary waste from hazardous waste and properly treating it to reduce risks. Objective. To determine the level of knowledge that nursing staff have about the management of hospital waste at the Caazapá Regional Hospital. Materials and methods. A cross-sectional study was carried out among the nursing staff in 2023. The level of knowledge about waste management was measured by a validated questionnaire. Results A total of 168 nursing staff were included, 58% from rural areas, 75% female, 60% aged 31 to 50, 45% nursing technicians and 54% under permanent contract. 75% had a high level of knowledge in the management of general hospital solid waste, 76.2% in the management of biocontaminated hospital solid waste and 68.5% in the management of common hospital waste. Being from a rural area and with a temporary contract were significantly associated with a lower level of general knowledge, with lower knowledge of special waste management and with lower knowledge of common waste management. Lower level of knowledge in the management of biocontaminated waste was related to being from a rural area. Conclusion. The level of knowledge in the nursing staff was high and associated with origin and employment status.