Exploration of Factors Influencing Nurses’ Preparedness and Response to the COVID-19 Outbreak

Abstract

Introduction and Objective Nurses as the core of the health care workforce affect an organization's preparedness and response. This study explores the factors and unique determinants influencing nurses’ preparedness and response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in Singapore. Methods This qualitative phenomenological study utilized purposive sampling and in-depth interviews with 10 registered nurses and two enrolled nurses who had worked or were still working in an infectious disease (ID) hospital during the COVID-19 outbreak at the point of recruitment. The data were collected from September 2020 to December 2020. Results (1) Before the outbreak: Factors such as knowledge, skills, and experiences that enhanced nurses’ adaptability and response through training and exposure prior to the outbreak influenced preparedness. In addition, the importance of nurses’ knowing their purpose and the role of their institute during the outbreak also influenced preparedness. (2) The COVID-19 phase: Factors such as the novelty of the disease, communication, load and demand, and coping mechanisms affected participants’ working response to the outbreak. (3) Learning and looking forth: Lessons learnt to enhance preparedness and response to future outbreaks, and positive sentiments as part of the nation's effort to combat the disease. Conclusion Ground nurses should be actively involved in outbreak planning to gain a better view of their responsibilities and unpredictable events that may occur. A transparent and bidirectional communication among management and nurses is crucial amidst rapid changes in an outbreak to strike a balance between the needs of nurses and leadership and to enhance nurses’ resilience throughout this challenging journey.

Are pediatric nurses prepared to respond to monkeypox outbreak?

“…Our study results suggest that educational level, awareness of WHO guidelines, and training program were the positive predictive factors of overall preparedness. Other studies highlighted knowledge, experiences, and practice improved nurses’ readiness through training prior to the outbreak influenced preparedness in addition to nurses’ awareness of their role during the infectious outbreak (Fernandez et al [ 34 ]). The enrolled nurses in our study had working experience during COVID-19 pandemic which considered an important issue in acquiring knowledge and training related to infection control safety measures.…”

“…A 3-point Likert scale was used ranged from (1 = not agree to 3 = agree). Scores ranged from 19 to 57 with high scores indicating a satisfactory level of preparedness and categorized as follow: satisfactory level of preparedness 39-57, and unsatisfactory level of preparedness [19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38] The Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale-7 (GAD-7). The GAD-7 was developed by Spitzer et al [24].…”

“…, experiences, and practice improved nurses' readiness through training prior to the outbreak influenced preparedness in addition to nurses' awareness of their role during the infectious outbreak (Fernandez et al[34]). The enrolled nurses in our study had working experience during COVID-19 pandemic which considered an important issue in acquiring knowledge and training related to infection control safety measures.…”