J Korean Acad Fundam Nurs.  2010 Nov;17(4):520-530.

Nurses' Influenza A (H1N1) Infection Control Performance and Stress at Hub Hospitals in Honam Region

• Park JH
• Kang JH
• Kim HJ

Abstract

PURPOSE
In this study influenza A (H1N1) infection control performance and stress in nurses were surveyed, to identify factors influencing stress for the nurses, and to provide basic materials for promoting infectious disease control by nurses. METHOD: The participants were 447 nurses who had worked at isolation clinics and/or isolation rooms in hub hospitals in the Honam region during the period of the outbreak of 2009 pandemic influenza A (H1N1) virus. Data were collected in February 2010 using self-report questionnaires.
RESULTS
The performance of participants from clinics was high for 'helping patients wearing masks', but low for 'maintaining distance over 1 meter among waiting patients'. The performance of participants from hospital rooms was high for 'putting a surgical mask on a patient going out of the room', but low for 'keeping patients' family out of the room'. The participants' stress was higher in those younger and less experienced nurses, those working at a hospital with 500-999 beds, those working at both isolation clinics and rooms, and those working at a clinic longer.
CONCLUSION
In order to lower nurses' stress from working at isolation clinics/rooms for infectious diseases, we may need to deploy experienced nurses and limit their working days to five or less.

Keyword

Influenza; Infection Control; Performance; Stress

MeSH Terms

Communicable Diseases
Humans
Infection Control
Influenza, Human
Masks
Pandemics
Surveys and Questionnaires
Viruses