Nursing Students’ Awareness of Droplet and Airborne Isolation Precautions for Geriatric Patients during Outbreak of Coronavirus

Abdallah, Amany Samir; Saad, Moustafa; Abd Elhameed, Soad

doi:10.21608/mnj.2023.320388

Nursing Students’ Awareness of Droplet and Airborne Isolation Precautions for Geriatric Patients during Outbreak of Coronavirus

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Gerontology, faculty of nursing, Man so u r a, Egypt

² Lecturer of Gerontological Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Mansoura University, Egypt

³ Professor of Gerontological Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Mansoura University, Egypt

10.21608/mnj.2023.320388

Abstract

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 is the third coronavirus outbreak in the last two decades. The virus is thought to
spread through respiratory aerosol from infected people's coughing and sneezing, or through close personal contact.
Older people are at highest risk for COVID-19 due to physiological changes associated with ageing, decreased immune
function, and multi-morbidity. Aim: The study aimed to assess nursing students’ awareness of droplet and airborne
isolation precautions for geriatric patients during outbreak of coronavirus. Method: A descriptive study was utilized
with a convenient sample of 356 students. Setting: The study was conducted at Mansoura University's Faculty of
Nursing and Technical Institute of Nursing. Tools of data collection: Two tools were used, demographic data structured
interview questionnaire and nursing students’ awareness of droplet and airborne isolation precautions for geriatric
patients’ questionnaire. Results: There was a mild positive significant correlation between knowledge, attitude, and
practices score. There was a mild positive significant correlation between knowledge and attitude score (r = 0.487, P
<0.001), and between knowledge and practices score (r = 0.393, P <0.001). Conclusion: The majority of the studied
nursing students had a positive awareness regarding droplet and airborne isolation precautions for geriatric patients.
Recommendations: Develop of educational and training program to nursing students to raise their awareness about
droplet and airborne isolation precautions for geriatric patients.

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