Adv Skin Wound Care. 2021 Jul 13. doi: 10.1097/01.ASW.0000765916.20726.41. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency of hand dermatitis among nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic and factors affecting this.
METHODS: The research sample consisted of 175 nurses working in state hospitals. Research data were collected via Google Survey between October and September 2020. The data were collected using a Sociodemographic Data Collection Form, and a self-assessment form was used to determine dermatological symptoms.
RESULTS: The frequency of hand dermatitis among nurses was 70.9%. A statistically significant difference was found between sex, allergy history, and increased frequency of handwashing and the frequency of hand dermatitis. No significant difference in terms of the frequency of hand dermatitis was found between the nurses who provided care to COVID-19 positive patients and the nurses who did not provide care to COVID-19 positive patients. However, the frequency of washing hands and using hand disinfectants and hand creams was found to have increased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the pre-pandemic period.
CONCLUSIONS: The frequency of hand dermatitis increased among nurses during the pandemic. The increased frequency of handwashing during the pandemic poses a risk of hand dermatitis symptoms among nurses. The increased frequency of handwashing during the pandemic should not discourage nurses from appropriate hand hygiene practices.
PMID:34261909 | DOI:10.1097/01.ASW.0000765916.20726.41
