Determination of thermal comfort among nurses working with personal protective equipment in COVID-19 clinics

This study aimed to determine thermal comfort among nurses working with personal protective equipment in COVID-19 clinic.

In this study, a descriptive design was carried out between June and September 2020. Sample of the study consisted of 246 nurses (77.6%) who worked in the COVID-19 clinics with personal protective equipment. We used a questionnaire to determine thermal comfort of nurses; a follow-up form to determine the factors affecting thermal comfort; and the ASHRAE Thermal Sensation Scale. Four measurements and follow-ups were made three times.

More than half of nurses complained of ambient temperature and ventilation, one-third complained of humidity and nearly half complained of poor air quality. The mean thermal comfort score of nurses working in COVID-19 clinics was 1.19 (SD = 0.75). The thermal comfort of the nurses was negatively affected in all measurements except before wearing personal protective equipment. The highest scores were measured leaving the patient room and before removing personal protective equipment (M = 2.65, SD = 0.58).

The thermal comfort, work performance and stress levels of the nurses were negatively affected by working with personal protective equipment. This study reveals the necessity of improving the working conditions of nurses, including working hours, environment and personal protective equipment.