Fear, stress, and readiness in handling COVID-19 patients among nurses

Abstract

Readiness of nurses in handling COVID-19 patients is crucial for them to be effective and efficient on the bedside. Also, fear and stress creates a lasting impact on how the healthcare workers perform during this health emergency. The study explored the strength of the relationship between fear, stress, and readiness in handling COVID-19 patients in a private hospital in Iloilo City, Philippines. The data were gathered using the Fear of COVID-19 Scale by Ahorsu et al., (2020), Perceived Stress Scale by Cohen (2021), and a researcher-made, validated Readiness Scale. Majority of the nurse respondents experienced moderate levels of fear in handling COVID-19 patients and had moderate levels of stress. Despite his, majority had high level of readiness. The levels of readiness decrease as the level of fear and stress increase during the unanticipated times of pandemic. Stress management programs and addressing fear of staff nurses during unprecedented times of pandemic is crucial to ensure their readiness.