Knowledge, Risk Perception, Preventive Behavior and Emotional Regulation regarding COVID-19 among Nurses Working in Isolation Hospitals

Abstract

Background: COVID-19 is an infectious illness caused by a newly discovered corona virus now called severe acute respiratory syndrome. Nurses are providing front line care for patients with COVID-19 that require hospitalization. So, studying of nurses’ knowledge of the COVID-19, risk perception, preventive behaviors and emotional regulation is necessary since COVID-19 is currently spreading in hospitals and all over the world. Aim: assess nurses' knowledge, risk perception, preventive behaviors and emotional regulation regarding COVID-19. Design: A descriptive exploratory research design was used to achieve the aim of this study. Settings: This study was conducted at seven isolation hospitals in seven Egyptian governorates. Study subjects: a purposive sample of 140 nurses working in isolation hospitals in Egypt Governorates. Tools: Nurses’ demographic characteristics assessment questionnaire, nurses’ self-administered assessment questionnaire, nurses' preventive behavior assessment tool, nurses’ risk perception assessment tool and nurses’ emotional regulation scale. Results: more than two thirds of nurses were females; the majority of the nurses had satisfactory level of knowledge regarding COVID-19. Concerning preventive behavior, the majority of nurses had good preventive behavior regarding COVID-19, while more than one third of nurses had poor level of risk perception. Regarding emotional regulation more than two thirds of nurses had good level of emotional regulation. Conclusion: The majority of the nurses had satisfactory levels of knowledge, good level of preventive behavior and risk perception of dealing with COVID-19 patients, and they also have good levels of emotional regulation, which are reflected positively in dealing and caring COVID-19 patients in isolation hospitals. Recommendations: Infection control courses should be implemented for all the nurses working in isolation hospitals before dealing with COVID 19 patients. Providing emotional and psychological support for nurses should be done to increase the emotional regulation