Evaluation of COVID-19 Fear and Hand Hygiene Practices of Healthcare Professionals in a University Hospital
Abstract
Objective: The research aimed to analyze healthcare professionals’ “levels of COVID-19 fear and hand hygiene practice” and “the correlation between COVID-19 fear and hand hygiene practices” in a university hospital.
Methods: The population of this descriptive and correlational research comprised 150 professionals, that is, 50 doctors and 100 nurses working in various units at a university hospital. The number of healthcare professionals who voluntarily took part in the research was 97. The data were collected through the “Healthcare Professional Introduction Form, COVID-19 Fear Scale, and Hand Hygiene Practices Inventory”.
Results: The female professionals’ mean COVID-19 fear level score and hand hygiene practice level score were higher than those of males (p < 0.05). There was a significant difference among the mean COVID-19 fear scores with reference to the education level (p < 0.05). Of the professionals, 96.9% had at least one problem after hand hygiene. It was determined that there was a very weak, positive, and significant correlation between the level of COVID-19 fear and that of hand hygiene performance (r= 0.224; p < 0.05).
Conclusion: The research reveals that hand hygiene practices and the COVID-19 fear are affected by gender, as well as the fact that frequent handwashing and hand sanitizer use play a role in skin problems.
Keywords
References
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