Factors influencing job performance of nurses in COVID-19 care: a study in Egypt

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an illness that has critical effects on public health and overall circumstances across the world. The performance of nurses represents the vital actions in providing care for COVID-19 patients. The aim of this study was to assess job performance and associated nurses, patients, and environmental-related factors among nurses providing care to COVID-19 patients in Egypt through the following: assessing the nurses' knowledge regarding care of COVID-19 patients; assessing the nurses' practice regarding care of COVID-19 patients; assessing different factors that affect different types of nurses' job performance; and assessing the factors associated with the job performance of nurses providing care to COVID-19 patients.Design A descriptive exploratory study was used to meet the aim of the study.Setting The study was conducted at Ain Shams University COVID-19 Hospital.Study subjects A convenient sample of all 52 available nurses working at Ain Shams University COVID-19 Hospital. Data collection tools: The data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire. It consisted of the following: A. Self-administered nurses' questionnaire: Part I: Demographic characteristics of nurses. Part II: Nurses knowledge assessment. Part III: Factors associated with nurses' job performance. B. Narses's practice observational checklist. Results: The mean age (mean ± SD) of the study population was 40.59 ± 6.90. As regards their years of experience working as nurses, only 32.7% of them have more than ten years of experience. In relation to the total satisfactory level of knowledge about coronavirus, the study reveals that 55.8% of the nurses have unsatisfactory knowledge regarding coronavirus, There is a highly significant relationship between level of practice and years of experience (p-value < 0.001**), while there is a significant relationship between level of practice and educational level and attending the training courses about caring for COVID-19 patients (P-value 0.033*, P-value 0.025*), respectively.Conclusion The study concluded that most of the studied nurses had unsatisfactory knowledge, and more than half had incompetent practice scores about nursing care practices for patients with COVID-19. There was a positive linear correlation between the nurses' knowledge and practice. The factors affecting their performance in caring for patients with COVID-19, lack of cooperation between nurses and patients, lack of supplies and equipment during care were the most frequently reported factors, as were an unequal nurse-patient ratio, many nursing tasks, and a lack of patients' knowledge.Recommendation The study recommends the importance of promoting the nursing care guidelines as a standard procedure in ICUs, and the nursing care guideline educational program for patients with COVID-19 should be scheduled regularly for nurses. Providing the hospitals with supplies to avoid the shortage's effect on nurses' performance.