Efficacy of Educational Nursing Interventions on Psychological Problems and Infection Prevention Practices Regarding COVID-19 among Critical Care Nurses

Background: Ensuring the mental wellbeing of critical care nurses is of utmost importance, as it directly impacts the uninterrupted provision of safe patient care and plays a vital role in managing any potential outbreak effectively. Aim: To evaluate the efficacy of educational nursing interventions on psychological problems and infection prevention practices regarding COVID-19 among critical care nurses. Research design: Quasi-experimental one group pretest posttest design was utilized. Setting: Intensive Care Units at 15th May Model Hospital & Helwan Fever Hospital. Subject: A convenience sample included 47 male and female nurses. Tool I: Coronavirus anxiety scale for nurses. Tool II: Coronavirus depression scale for nurses. Tool III: Nurses’ infection prevention practices towards COVID-19 scale. Results: A statistically significant decrease in Anxiety Scores, Coronavirus depression Scores & increase in infection prevention practices toward COVID-19 scores after implementation of the educational nursing interventions. No significant change in anxiety, depression, infection prevention practices scores at follow-up phase. Conclusion: There was a statistically significant direct correlation between coronavirus anxiety scores and infection prevention practices toward COVID-19 scores before implementation of the educational nursing interventions. Respectively, there was no statistically significant correlation between coronavirus anxiety scores and coronavirus depression scores as well as coronavirus depression scores and infection prevention practices toward COVID-19 scores. Recommendation: Implementing regular and continuous educational programs for critical care nurses for addressing anxiety and depression related to the COVID-19 pandemic and providing guidance on best practices for infection prevention and control.