Comparison of Knowledge and Attitude among Nurses in Special Wards and Emergency of the Hospital about COVID-19: A Cross-Sectional Study in the North of Iran

Introduction: There is a lack of studies on the knowledge and attitudes of health care workers towards COVID-19. The aim of this study was to compare the knowledge and attitudes of nurses in emergency departments and special wards of medical training centers in Mazandaran province about COVID-19 in 2020. Material and Methods: The present study is a descriptive cross-sectional study. Which was performed in the emergency and special wards of adult educational and medical centers of Mazandaran province in 2020. Sampling is census that is easily accessible and non-random. Data collection tools included demographic information form and a researcher-made questionnaire related to knowledge and attitude. Data were analyzed by analytical tests using SPSS version 16. Results: The findings of this study showed that the level of nurses 'knowledge was 7.78 ±0.85 and the level of nurses' attitude was 6.87± 0.90. There was no statistically significant difference between knowledge and attitude in emergency and special ward’s nurses. There is no significant relationship between education level, age and work experience with knowledge and attitude. Conclusion: According to the findings, the level of knowledge of nurses was insufficient and the level of attitude of nurses was sufficient. Therefore, it is recommended nursing managers should plan to increase the level of awareness of nursing staff. Prepare virtual educational content in the field of treatment, nursing care and complications of COVID-19.