J Korean Acad Fundam Nurs.
2016 Nov;23(4):402-410. 10.7739/jkafn.2016.23.4.402.
Knowledge, Attitudes and Perceptions of Nurses on Personal Protective Equipment: Response to the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus
- Affiliations
-
- 1Surveillance Team, Gyeonggi Infectious Disease Control Center, Seongnam, Korea.
- 2Red Cross College of Nursing, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Korea. leeoc@cau.ac.kr
- KMID: 2361557
- DOI: http://doi.org/10.7739/jkafn.2016.23.4.402
Abstract
- PURPOSE
Personal protective equipment (PPE) is critical to protect healthcare workers from pandemic outbreaks. This study was designed to identify nurses' knowledge, attitude and perceptions on PPE.
METHODS
Data were collected from 154 nurses working at a tertiary general hospital, where positively diagnosed and suspected patients were accepted and admitted during the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus outbreak in 2015. The PPE tool consists of 20 items for knowledge, and 5 each for attitudes and perceptions.
RESULTS
Overall, knowledge for PPE was higher thanmoderate (76.95/100), but there was a lack for items related to powered air purifying respirator (PAPR). For attitudes, willingness to work in pandemic outbreaks was the most positive (4.04/5.00). Goggles and PAPR were perceived as themost uncomfortable barriers to work. There was no correlation between knowledge, attitude and perceptions, despite a strong positive correlation between attitude and perceptions. PPE training was identified as a factor to improve knowledge and attitudes on PPE.
CONCLUSION
To respond to pandemic influenza, nurses need to expand their knowledge on PPE up to Level C, and be updated through regular training. Study findings suggest that repetitive studies targeting nurses and other healthcare workers at various hospital settings are necessary.
Keyword
- Full Text Links
-
- Actions
-
Cited
- CITED
-
- Close
- Share
-
- Similar articles
-
- The experience of endotracheal intubation in Middle East respiratory syndrome patients: A case report
- Intensive care unit nurses’ knowledge, attitudes, perceptions of a safe environment, and compliance with the use of personal protective equipment: a descriptive observational study
- The Korean Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Outbreak and Our Responsibility to the Global Scientific Community
- An Unexpected Outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Infection in the Republic of Korea, 2015
- The Same Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) yet Different Outbreak Patterns and Public Health Impacts on the Far East Expert Opinion from the Rapid Response Team of the Republic of Korea
