The evaluation of nursing care quality in critical care units for patients with COVID-19

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the quality of nursing care in critical care units (CCUs) for patients with COVID-19. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 100 nurses working in CCUs at a teaching hospital in Tehran from June to December 2021. Nurses' performance in caring for COVID-19 patients was evaluated through a nursing care quality measurement scale. Data were analyzed by SPSS 21 software, and using t-tests, ANOVAs, Pearsons correlation coefficients, and regressions. Results: The study revealed that 68.2 of nurses were female, and 67.2 of patients were male. The mean quality of care score ranged from medium to high (125.77 +/- 33.73), with better care provided to male patients compared to female patients (p<0.01). A significant negative correlation was observed between the quality of care and patients' age (r=-0.40; p<0.0001) as well as the number of monthly overtime hours worked (r=-0.206; p=0.03). Age and gender were identified as predictive variables for the quality of care (p<0.05). Conclusion: The quality of care in CCUs for COVID-19 patients was rated as medium to high. Increasing the number of nurses during pandemic such as COVID-19 is essential to enhance the quality of care. Furthermore, training programs should be implemented to improve nurses' attitudes in COVID-19 wards, particularly towards caring for the elderly.