Self‐Report Assessment of Nurses’ Risk for Infection After Exposure to Patients With Coronavirus Disease (COVID‐19) in the United Arab Emirates

Abstract

Purpose Nurses have an increased risk for acquiring COVID‐19 infection. This study assessed levels of risk for exposure to COVID‐19 among nurses, and determined those at the greatest risk. Design A cross‐sectional design was used to assess risk for exposure to COVID‐19 in nurses from five randomly selected governmental hospitals in the United Arab Emirates. Participants completed an online survey (including the World Health Organization survey) to assess their risk for exposure to COVID‐19. Descriptive statistics were used to describe classes of risk for exposure, and logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with greater risk. Findings Of the 552 participants, 284 nurses (51.4%) were classified at high risk for COVID‐19 exposure as they did not report adherence to infection control and prevention (ICP) guidelines at all times during healthcare interactions and when performing aerosol procedures, or had accidental exposure to biological fluid and respiratory secretions. Compared with adherence to wearing medical masks, gloves, and hand hygiene practices, adherence to wearing face shields or goggles and disposable gowns and decontaminating high‐touch surfaces was less frequent. Shifting to work in critical care units, not having adequate critical care experience, and reporting a need for training in ICP practices were factors that contributed to high‐risk exposure (p values for Ex (Bs) = 2.60, 2.16, 1.75, ≤ 0.05, consecutively). Conclusions A considerable number of nurses were classified at high risk for COVID‐19 exposure. Critical care work experience and adequate evidence‐based training in ICP practices related to COVID‐19 must be considered to mitigate the risk for exposure to COVID‐19 in nurses. Clinical Relevance This study provided a strong message regarding protecting nurses at high risk for exposure to COVID‐19. Clinical leaders must stay vigilant to ensure nurses’ adherence to ICP practices in the context of COVID‐19, and to proactively address any related deficits.

Determinants of nurse's and personal support worker's adherence to facial protective equipment in a community setting during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario, Canada: A pilot study

“…Self-reported adherence in this study was relatively high (71%), despite the strict definition used (always adherent to all elements of FPE). As in previous studies, adherence to surgical masks (89%) was higher than adherence to eye protection (73%) 3 ; 4 ; 24 . Note that using a similar definition to previous work by Nichol et al 19 would have yielded a higher self-reported adherence rate (95%), which drastically exceeds the 44% found in hospital nurses in their study 19 and is comparable to the very high rate (97%) seen in Canadian hospitals during care for SARS CoV-1 patients by the end of the SARS CoV-1 epidemic 24 .…”

“…in Hong Kong, Oman and Italy) (Al 2 ; 15 ; 29 , while others have reported lower rates (e.g. hospitals in the UAE (78% mask adherence, 51% eye protection), the US (42-86%) and Ethiopia (35% masks adherence, 15% for eye protection) 3 ; 4 ; 11 ; 21 .…”

Compared hand hygiene compliance among healthcare providers before and after the COVID-19 pandemic: A rapid review and meta-analysis

“…From the front-line experience, during the outbreak of COVID-19, hospitals strengthened intervention measures for the HHC among healthcare providers, including strengthening education, increasing monitoring frequency, posting notices and warning signs, and other measures. 20 , 21 In addition, healthcare providers may have had a higher self-awareness of and ability to perform HH compared with other daily working conditions in during the contingency status of COVID-19. However, it is not known whether HH behavior and compliance among healthcare providers changed and what kind of changes may have taken place after the outbreak.…”

Pandemic Fatigue: A Concept Analysis

“…The nurses have an increased risk of exposure because they give personal care to COVID 19 patients. For instance, they extract blood samples or specimens to detect the virus or do any aerosol-generating intervention, together with not adhering correctly to the set guidelines [24].…”