Assessment of Nurses Fear Working in COVID-19 Pandemic Hospitals

Abstract

Introduction: Nurses play pivotal roles in various facets of managing the COVID-19 epidemic, encompassing tasks such as identifying potential cases with infections, managing suspected patients, conducting patient assessments, and providing critical care to individuals afflicted with COVID-19. Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the level of COVID-19 fear among nurses who care for infected or suspected COVID-19 patients in pandemic hospitals. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 260 nurses employed at COVID-19 hospitals in Palestine. The Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) was employed to measure participants’ fear levels. The scale's potential values range from 7 to 35, with higher scores indicating a greater fear of COVID-19. Independent t-tests and ANOVA tests were utilized to evaluate differences between the variables. Results: The analysis revealed that the mean total fear score of the nurses was 25.22 ± 5.07 (ranging from 7 to 35), indicating a high level of fear. Married nurses exhibited a fear mean score of 27.0 ± 4.9 (p < 0.05). Similarly, nurses with children scored a mean fear level of 29.0 ± 4.6 (p < 0.05). Additionally, nurses engaged in rotating shift work reported a fear mean score of 27.9 ± 4.4 (p < 0.05). Furthermore, nurses who received COVID-19 training exhibited a fear mean score of 24.6 ± 4.8 (p < 0.05). Likewise, nurses who experienced patient loss due to COVID-19 reported a fear mean score of 23.2 ± 4.5 (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The study confirmed that nurses in Palestine exhibit a significant level of fear concerning COVID-19. Marital status, having children, working schedule, experiencing the loss of a patient due to COVID-19, and receiving training related to COVID-19 were identified as factors associated with the fear of COVID-19 among nurses.