Abstract
Comparison of COVID Anxiety Among Nurses Working in Clinical Wards and Operating Rooms
Author(s): Amir Hossein Mazloumi, Najimeh Beygi, Fatemeh Talebian*, Zhila Fereidouni and Afsaneh ghasemiIntroduction: Nurses and medical staff are exposed to the highest levels of stress and anxiety as they provide the first line of care for COVID patients. The aim of this study was to compare COVID anxiety among nurses working in clinical wards and operating rooms.
Methods: This descriptive-comparative study was conducted on 130 nurses (65 nurses working in hospital wards and 65 nurses working in operating room) who had been selected by convenience sampling method. The data collection tools in this study included the demographic information form and Corona Disease Anxiety Scale (CDAS). Data were analyzed by SPSS-21 statistical software using descriptive statistics (mean standard deviation) and inferential statistics (Paired t-test, Chi-square).
Results: The mean score of COVID anxiety in the ward nurses was 30.33 ± 7.83 and in operating room nurses was 31.11 ± 08.03. The independent t-test did not show a significant difference between the two groups in terms of COVID anxiety score (p=0.68).
Discussion and Conclusion: The results of this study did not show a significant difference between the operating room nurses and ward nurses in terms of COVID anxiety score. However, due to the nature of nursing profession and the close contact that nurses have with patients, the rate of COVID anxiety is higher in nurses compared to normal people. Meanwhile, social support plays an important role in reducing COVID anxiety among nursing staff.