Nursing professionals' biosafety in confronting COVID-19

Area of Science:

• Healthcare
• Infectious Disease Control
• Nursing Practice

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic presented unprecedented challenges to healthcare systems globally.
• Ensuring the safety of nursing professionals is paramount in managing infectious disease outbreaks.
• Biosecurity protocols are essential for protecting healthcare workers and preventing disease transmission.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the biosecurity status of nursing professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• To identify gaps in training, personal protective equipment (PPE) availability, and facility adaptations for nursing staff.
• To provide evidence-based recommendations for improving biosecurity in healthcare settings.

Main Methods:

• A survey-based study was conducted with nursing professionals.
• Data were collected using self-administered forms distributed via messaging applications.
• A non-probabilistic sample of 693 nursing professionals participated, followed by descriptive data analysis.

Main Results:

• A significant majority (79.0%) reported inadequate or absent biosecurity training for COVID-19.
• Lack of personal protective equipment was reported by 69.3% of participants.
• Over 81.8% of nursing professionals expressed concerns about the safety of internal flux adaptations for handling COVID-19 cases.

Conclusions:

• Continuous and effective training for nursing teams is essential for improving biosecurity.
• Ensuring the consistent availability of personal protective equipment is critical.
• Adjustments to internal workflows and facility design are necessary for the safe management of suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases.