ASSESSING THE LEVEL OF KNOWLEDGE AND FUNCTION OF NURSES ABOUT COVID-19 DISEASE DURING THE EPIDEMIC

Introduction: Covid-19 is a dangerous respiratory disease, and nurses are exposed to this virus at work. Thus, nurses need to understand the process of awareness and proper practice about COVID-19. Nurses' knowledge and readiness are important for the effectiveness of corona treatment. This study was conducted to investigate the knowledge and readiness of nurses in this field. Materials and methods: In this study, 264 nurses of Shanghai Hospital participated in the survey from November to August 2021. The instrument was a modified questionnaire related to nurses' performance and knowledge about COVID-19. Data were analyzed by SPSS software. Results: A total of 253 people answered the questionnaire. The mean age of nurses was 34.8 years. General knowledge of COVID preparation was sufficient. The nurse's readiness for personal protective equipment was moderate. The overall response was 94.3%. The majority of respondents (96.2%) were employed by the Ministry of Health. According to reports of 88.4% of participants, there was adequate ventilation in the workplace. In total, 81.7% of respondents wore enough gloves and gowns. About 22.4 % of participants lacked a cape, 12.9 % had an N95 mask, and 28.5 % lacked facial protection. Conclusion: Nurses were knowledgeable enough and moderate in terms of preparation and response to Covid-19. Paying more attention to these issues can contribute to greater efficiency and health of medical staff in the future.