Determination of the effect of the pre‐surgery COVID‐19 fear level and hygiene behaviours of the patients on the personal protective clinical measures developed after the surgery: A cross‐sectional study

Abstract

AimThis study aims to examine patients' preoperative COVID‐19 fear levels, hygiene behaviours, postoperative personal protective clinical measures, and their correlations with each other.DesignThis research is a cross‐sectional type of study.MethodsThe study sample consisted of 131 patients hospitalized in the general surgery inpatient ward of a hospital in Turkey. The sample was determined by G‐Power analysis. The data were collected in two stages in a research hospital between 1 April 2021 and 1 March 2022. Sociodemographic and Clinical Information Form, COVID‐19 Fear Scale, COVID‐19 Hygiene Scale were used before surgery; COVID‐19 personal protective clinical measures questionnaire was used after surgery. Descriptive statistics, independent t‐test, ANOVA test, Wilcoxon test and Spearman correlation analysis were used to evaluate the data.ResultsIt was determined that preoperative COVID‐19 fear levels, hygiene behaviours, and the personal protective clinical measures developed after the surgery were above moderate. A statistically significant and positive correlation was found between the COVID‐19 Fear Scale and the preoperative COVID‐19 Hygiene Scale and postoperative COVID‐19 personal protective clinical prevention questionnaire total score and sub‐dimension score averages. Patients' COVID‐19 fears, preoperative and postoperative hygiene behaviours are statistically significantly associated with each other at a low level; postoperative clinical precautions and preoperative hygiene behaviours are statistically significantly associated with each other at a high level.ConclusionThe results of this study show that patients are terrified of COVID‐19 while they are hospitalized due to surgical intervention during the pandemic process, and they increase their hygiene measures. It is thought that the results of the study will guide the regulation of clinical measures, patient education, and nursing care to be developed for patients during pandemic periods.Patient or Public ContributionNo patient or public contribution.