The association between the work environment and the fear of COVID-19 experienced by nurses


DOST A., Sezgin D., ESİN M. N.

Work, cilt.79, sa.1, ss.3-13, 2024 (SSCI, Scopus) identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 79 Sayı: 1
  • Basım Tarihi: 2024
  • Doi Numarası: 10.3233/wor-230121
  • Dergi Adı: Work
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, ABI/INFORM, Agricultural & Environmental Science Database, Business Source Elite, Business Source Premier, CINAHL, Educational research abstracts (ERA), Environment Index, INSPEC, MEDLINE, Psycinfo
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.3-13
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: Associated conditions, environment, fear, nurse, pandemic, workplace
  • İstanbul Üniversitesi-Cerrahpaşa Adresli: Evet

Özet

BACKGROUND: The conditions in the workplace have a critical influence on the mental health of nurses and their attitudes toward their job, which may impact patient care. OBJECTIVE: This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the association between perceptions of the work environment and fear of COVID-19 experienced by nurses. METHODS: The data were collected using a demographic data form, the Work Environment Scale (WES), and the Fear of COVID-19 Scale. The study was completed with 183 nurses who provide care to COVID-19 patients. RESULTS: The mean scores for the WES and Fear of COVID-19 Scale were 63.59±12.35 and 21.98±8.36, respectively. There was a positive correlation between the points acquired from the 'employee fears' section of the WES and the Fear of COVID-19 Scale mean ranks (r=0.22). There was a weak negative correlation between the Fear of COVID-19 score and the WES 'job satisfaction' score (r=-0.214). There was a weak negative correlation between the scores of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale and perceived support at work (r=-0.33) and between the WES scores and weekly working hours (r=-0.27). However, there was a weak to moderate positive correlation between the WES scores and number of days off per week (r=0.45). CONCLUSIONS: Nurses experience a high fear of COVID-19, and a decrease in their attitudes of the work environment was associated with an increased fear of COVID-19. The fear of COVID-19 may be reduced by various interventions to provide support at work and increase nurses' job satisfaction.