Background The COVID-19 pandemic posed and continues to pose challenges for health care systems globally, particularly to Intensive Care Units (ICU). At the forefront of the ICU are highly trained nurses with a professional obligation to care for patients with COVID-19 despite the potential to become infected. The aim of this study was to explore ICU nurses’ willingness to care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods A prospective cross-sectional study to explore ICU nurses’ willingness to provide care during the COVID-19 pandemic was undertaken between 25 March to 3 April 2020 at a large principal and referral teaching hospital in Sydney, NSW Australia. Results A total of 83 ICU nurses completed the survey. Approximately 60% reported receiving sufficient information from managers regarding COVID-19 and about caring for a patient with COVID-19. Ninety percent of nurses were concerned about spreading COVID-19 to their family. Sixty one percent of the nurses indicated that they were willing to care for patients with COVID-19. Receiving timely communication from managers was the only predictor of willingness to care among ICU nurses. Conclusions Effective communication is a vital component during a public health emergency in order to promote nurses’ willingness to care for patients in the ICU.

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Aim: This study was conducted in three phases. Phase 1 aimed to adapt the Cancer Information Overload Scale and conduct content validity testing. Phase 2 aimed to conduct factorial validity testing of the scale. Phase 3 aimed to assess information overload and the sources of information used by nurses and midwives to keep up-todate about COVID-19. Design: A cross-sectional survey of nurses and midwives working in a metropolitan Local Health District in Sydney, Australia, was conducted from May to June 2020. Methods: Adaptation of the Cancer Information Overload Scale and content validity of the modified scale (as the Pandemic Information Overload Scale) was undertaken by an expert panel comprising of senior nurses and researchers. Factorial validity and reliability of the Pandemic Information Overload Scale were evaluated using exploratory factor analyses using one subsample of the data. Using the second subsample of the data, information overload and sources of information used by nurses and midwives to keep up-to-date about COVID-19 were examined.Results: The Pandemic Information Overload Scale is a reliable and valid instrument for measuring information overload among nurses during a pandemic. Its internal consistency was high (α = 0.81, M = 3.84). Conclusion:The 8-item PIO scale is a brief, reliable and psychometrically sound instrument for measuring nurses' and midwives' perceptions of information overload during COVID-19. Mean scores across this study indicated that participants were