The influence of general hospital nurses’ intention to care for patients with COVID-19 on infection control practices: A cross-sectional study

Background Nurses’ infection control practices are crucial for managing infectious diseases like coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). While various factors influence these practices, they may be mediated by nurses’ intention to provide care. Research on intention-based factors remains limited. This study aimed to identify factors influencing infection control practices based on nurses’ intention to care for COVID-19 patients. Methods This cross-sectional study surveyed 240 nurses from three general hospitals in Korea in March 2021 regarding individual and environmental factors. Multiple regression analyzed predictors of infection control practices based on care intention levels. Results The findings revealed distinct influencing factors based on nurses’ intention levels. Among nurses with high care intention, individual factors were predominant: COVID-19-related infection control awareness ( β = .449, p < .001) and psychosocial stress ( β = -.271, p = .012) were significantly associated with their practices. In contrast, for nurses with moderate intention, both individual and environmental factors were significant: infection control awareness ( β = .362, p < .001) and the availability of negative pressure rooms ( β = .224, p = .042) played key roles. Conclusion Factors influencing infection control practices vary depending on nurses’ care intention. Specifically, strategies should focus on maintaining awareness and managing stress for nurses with high intention, while enhancing environmental support and infrastructure is more effective for those with moderate intention. These results emphasize the need for tailored, multi-level interventions—integrating both individual and environmental strategies—to sustain effective infection control during infectious disease outbreaks.