BMC Nurs. 2025 Jul 8;24(1):878. doi: 10.1186/s12912-025-03530-x.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUNDS: Understanding how nurses perceive anxiety and stress during an epidemic is essential for curbing the spread of disease and implementing effective public health strategies. This study aims to evaluate the levels of epidemic anxiety, perceived stress, and compliance with isolation measures among nurses working in Turkey in relation to monkeypox.
METHODS: This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample of 335 nurses employed at a hospital in Izmir, Turkey. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews between September 15 and November 30, 2024, using a structured questionnaire. The data collection instruments included a Demographic Information Form, the Epidemic Anxiety Scale, the Perceived Stress Scale, and the Compliance with Isolation Precautions Scale.
RESULTS: The mean age of the nurses was 28.41 ± 6.26 years. The average total score was 79.37 ± 10.01 on the Compliance with Isolation Precautions Scale, 49.16 ± 15.44 on the Epidemic Anxiety Scale, and 26.39 ± 7.76 on the Perceived Stress Scale. Statistically significant differences in the total scores of the Compliance with Isolation Precautions Scale were observed based on gender, prior experience working in a pandemic-designated hospital, and current department of employment (p <.005). A statistically significant but weak negative correlation was found between the Compliance with Isolation Precautions Scale and both the Epidemic Subscale (r = -.124; p =.031) and the Economic Subscale (r = -.129; p =.023). Additionally, a statistically significant moderate positive correlation was identified between the Perceived Stress Scale and the Epidemic Anxiety Scale (r =.399; p <.001).
CONCLUSION: The study revealed that nurses experienced a moderate level of epidemic-related anxiety. Moreover, it was found that a substantial majority of nurses (95.8%) had not received any formal training on monkeypox. The findings also indicated that nurses’ perceived stress levels increased in parallel with their levels of epidemic anxiety.
PMID:40629306 | DOI:10.1186/s12912-025-03530-x
