Factors Affecting the Coronavirus Fear Levels of Nurses

Abstract

Objective: This study was conducted to examine the coronavirus fear levels of nurses and the factors affecting them during the COVID- 19 outbreak. Method: Research was carried out with nurses working in two public hospitals located in Turkey's Eastern Anatolia region between 1-30 June 2020. In this study, all nurses were tried to be reached and a sample from the population was not chosen. The research sample was calculated as 420 nurses at 95% confidence interval, and it was completed with 421 nurses. "Personal Information Form" and "Coronavirus Phobia Scale (C19P-S)" were used in data collection. After obtaining the approval of the ethics committee for the research, data were collected online voluntarily basis. Frequency, percentage calculation, independent groups t-test and one-way ANOVA test were used in the evaluation of the data. Findings: The total coronavirus fear levels of the nurses (53.09 ± 13.62) and social fear levels (14.36 ± 4.13) were found to be moderate. Psychological fear levels (19.14 ± 4.91) were determined to be above average. Somatic (10.56 ± 3.84) and economic (9.01 ± 2.85) coronavirus fear levels were found to be below average. A statistically significant difference was found between the nurses' gender, educational status, income levels, their employment in risky units, their belief that the coronavirus would end soon, and their coronavirus fear levels (p <0.05). Conclusion: It was found in this study that women, those with low income, and nurses working in COVID-19 units were found to have higher coronavirus fears. It is recommended that the working conditions of the nurses would be improved and the nurses would be involved in in-service trainings regarding how to cope with outbreaks and crises.