J Korean Clin Nurs Res.  2024 Apr;30(1):24-34. 10.22650/JKCNR.2024.30.1.24.

Predicting Factors of Nurses' Intention to Care for COVID-19 Patients based on the Theory of Planned Behavior: The Moderating Effect of Perceived Behavior Control

• Ahn BW
• Yu M

• KMID: 2555877
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.22650/JKCNR.2024.30.1.24

Abstract

Purpose
This study aimed to identify factors influencing nurses' intention to care for COVID-19 patients based on the theory of planned behavior, and to test the moderating effect of perceived behavior control between attitude, subjective norms, and nurses' intention to care.
Methods
The participants were 167 nurses working at two designated hospitals for infectious diseases located in J and C city, South Korea. Data were collected from October 10th to 25th, 2020, and analyzed using independent t-test, ANOVA, and Pearson correlation coefficient, and hierarchical multiple regression analysis. The moderating effect was analyzed using the Process Macro model 1 (95% confidence interval, 10,000 bootstrapping), and a simple slope analysis was performed to identify the moderating effect of perceived behavior control.
Results
The factors affecting nurses’ intention to care for patients with COVID-19 were attitude toward the behavior (β=.32, p<.001) and perceived behavior control (β=.37, p<.001) in model 1, attitude toward the behavior (β=.28, p<.001) and perceived behavior control (β=.36, p<.001), and perspective taking (β=.26, p<.001) in model 2. The explanation power of this model was 65.0% (F=18.41, p<.001). The moderating effect of perceived behavioral control was statistically significant in the relationship between subjective norms and intention to care for patients with COVID-19 (F=16.37, p<.001). In the simple slope analysis, the reinforcement effect was greatest when the level of perceived behavioral control was at the mean (95% CI=0.46~0.67) and high (95% CI=0.70~1.08).
Conclusion
Developing and applying a training program that enhances confidence and improves empathy is necessary to increase nurses’ intention to care for COVID-19 patients.

Keyword

Attitude; Behavior Control; Empathy; Intention; Theory of Planned Behavior