Factors Affecting the Preparedness to Care for Patients with Highly Infectious Diseases among Nursing Staff in Long-term Care Hospitals: A Cross-Sectional Descriptive Study

Abstract

This study aimed to identify factors related to nurses’ preparedness to care for patients with highly infectious diseases in long-term care hospitals based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). Methods: The participants were 226 nurses from 10 long-term care hospitals located in a metropolitan city in Korea. Core components of the TPB, organizational culture for infection control, nursing practice environment, and preparedness to care for patients with highly infectious diseases were measured using a structured online self-report questionnaire. Data were collected from October 25 to December 26, 2021 and were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson’s correlation coefficients, and multiple regression. Results: The mean score of preparedness to care for patients with highly infectious diseases was 4.99±1.90 out of 10. The perceived behavioral control (β=.37, p