[Czech doctors' opinions on nurses' competency in using personal protective equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic]

Correct and safe use of personal protective equipment (PPE) is a basic competency for nurses. We asked doctors about the level of knowledge, skills, and proficiency they observed in nurses when using PPE in their workplace during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The study had a descriptive, cross-sectional design. Representative sociological research was performed. Data were collected via a non-standardized questionnaire. The study aimed to identify doctors' views on nurses' competency in using PPE, divided into three domains: knowledge, skills, and proficiency. Data were collected using a standardized structured interview with respondents in the Czech Republic from 28 November to 18 December 2022, by 230 inter-viewers from the INRES-SONES agency. Out of 1 410 randomly selected doctors, 1 203 (85.3 %) agreed to participate in the study. This sample was representative of doctors in Czechia with respect to gender, age, and region.

Of the 1 203 responding doctors, 243 (20.2 %) worked most of their time in COVID-19-dedicated units, 369 (30.7 %) in primary care and 591 (49.1 %) in units with low numbers of COVID-19 patients. The majority of the 1 203 respondents fully or partially agreed that nurses in their workplace had the necessary knowledge (87.6 %), skills (86.4 %), and proficiency (78.3 %) when using PPE. A significantly higher proportion of doctors who were not satisfied with the nurses' level of competency was noted among those who were younger and worked in hospital wards, especially in COVID-19-dedicated units.

After more than two years of using PPE, one out of seven respondents stated that nurses in their workplace had less than the necessary knowledge (12.4 %) or skills (13.6 %). One-fifth of doctors (21.7 %) did not agree that nurses in their workplace had the necessary proficiency to use PPE properly. While respondents in private practice and primary care e usually trained nurses in PPE use and procured PPE, the lack of control over PPE procurement and training processes in COVID-19-dedicated units might have caused the lower level of satisfaction. The cross-sectional design of the study did not allow for a deeper analysis of the factors that led doctors to disagree with the statement that nurses in their workplace had sufficient knowledge, skills, and proficiency in using PPE.

Acquiring the necessary knowledge, skills, and proficiency in using PPE should be part of the undergraduate and postgraduate training of nurses, as well as part of the plans for the preparedness of healthcare teams for any future viral respiratory pandemic.