Assessment of potential risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection among nurses in a health care setting in Turkey

Abstract

Healthcare workers are at greater risk because of the frequency of exposure to the virus SARS-CoV-2 infection (COVID-19) worldwide. This study aimed to determine the potential risk factors of nurses to COVID-19. This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on a population formed of nurses working in any type of healthcare institution in Turkey. The research was conducted online, and the link for the questionnaire was delivered to nurses through the nursing services management of the healthcare institutions of the province. A total of 525 nurses participated voluntarily in the study. Of the total nurses included in the study, 44.6% stated that they had been in contact with a patient diagnosed with COVID-19. The nurses reported that after contact with a COVID-19 positive patient, they had a higher level of awareness and paid more attention to protective measures (personal protective equipment, hand hygiene, isolation). Nurses with chronic disease (OR;16.97); who do not trust the scientific board (OR:5.93); who do not receive biosecurity training (OR; 2.22) feel at risk. Also, it was determined that despite taking standard precautions, nurses felt more at risk than those who did not take standard precautions (OR; 2.77). COVID-19 is a highly infectious disease in the community and presents a great threat to healthcare workers. All nurses who do not have sufficient knowledge of COVID-19 and do not take the necessary precautions are at great risk of contracting the disease. To minimize the risk of infection, it is of vital importance that effective measures are taken both personally and institutionally and should be done further research.