Knowledge, Risk Perception, Preventive Behavior and Emotional Regulation regarding COVID-19 among Nurses Working in Isolation Hospitals

Background: COVID-19 is an infectious illness caused by a newly discoveredcorona virus now called severe acute respiratory syndrome. Nurses are providing frontline care for patients with COVID-19 that require hospitalization. So, studying of nurses’knowledge of the COVID-19, risk perception, preventive behaviors and emotionalregulation is necessary since COVID-19 is currently spreading in hospitals and all overthe world. Aim: assess nurses' knowledge, risk perception, preventive behaviors andemotional regulation regarding COVID-19. Design: A descriptive exploratory researchdesign was used to achieve the aim of this study. Settings: This study was conducted atseven isolation hospitals in seven Egyptian governorates. Study subjects: a purposivesample of 140 nurses working in isolation hospitals in Egypt Governorates. Tools:Nurses’ demographic characteristics assessment questionnaire, nurses’ self-administeredassessment questionnaire, nurses' preventive behavior assessment tool, nurses’ riskperception assessment tool and nurses’ emotional regulation scale. Results: more thantwo thirds of nurses were females; the majority of the nurses had satisfactory level ofknowledge regarding COVID-19. Concerning preventive behavior, the majority of nurseshad good preventive behavior regarding COVID-19, while more than one third of nurseshad poor level of risk perception. Regarding emotional regulation more than two thirds ofnurses had good level of emotional regulation. Conclusion: The majority of the nurseshad satisfactory levels of knowledge, good level of preventive behavior and riskperception of dealing with COVID-19 patients, and they also have good levels ofemotional regulation, which are reflected positively in dealing and caring COVID-19patients in isolation hospitals. Recommendations: Infection control courses should beimplemented for all the nurses working in isolation hospitals before dealing with COVID19 patients. Providing emotional and psychological support for nurses should be done toincrease the emotional regulation