An examination of the fear of COVID-19 and professional quality of life among nurses: A multicultural study

Abstract

Aim: To determine the factors that influence nurses' fear of COVID-19 and professional quality of life as well as their attitudes towards COVID-19 in four different countries. Background: The emergence of COVID-19 has affected the psychological and professional quality of life of the frontline health care workers, especially nurses. Design: An online cross-sectional multicultural study. Methods: A total of 1071 nurses from Turkey, Brazil, Spain and Italy were selected by convenience sampling. All participants were invited to complete the Fear of COVID-19 Scale and Professional Quality of Life Scale through online form from October 2020 to January 2021. Results: It has been seen that nurses' fear of COVID-19 has been above the average and their professional quality of life has been affected negatively during the pandemic. Almost one out of three nurses (28.6%) thought of quitting their job during the pandemic. The majority of nurses (91.0%) thought their professional quality of life changed during the pandemic. The mean score of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale is higher in nurses who are working in Brazil, are female, have a chronic illness and are working in an outpatient clinic. Professional quality of life is even lower in nurses who are younger than 40, have a professional experience of less than 15 years, are working in Brazil and have concerns about themselves and their relatives because of COVID-19. Conclusions: It was determined that there was a relationship between fear of COVID-19 and professional quality of life subscales of nurses. Implications for Nursing Management: Nurse leaders have an important role in supporting nurses actively during and after the COVID-19 pandemic and providing them with good working conditions, sufficient resources and rewards. In order for nurses to be able to cope with the challenges brought about by the pandemic, particularly the fear of COVID-19, and to avoid thoughts of quitting the profession, it would be beneficial to take certain administrative measures on institutional and territorial basis. It is recommended that employees with a chronic disease work in low-risk clinics, the number of nurses be increased in busier clinics, working hours be reduced and nurses be provided with psychosocial support by experts to cope with stress. On the other hand, effective infection control, personal protective measures and implementing institutional policies and protocols can help to reduce the fear of COVID-19 and increase their professional quality of life.