DETERMINATION OF HEALTH-RELATED PROBLEMS DEVELOPED DUE TO THE USE OF PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT IN NURSES DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC PROCESS

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine the health-related problems experienced by nurses due to the use of personal protective equipment during the Covid-19 pandemic process. This descriptive study was conducted between June and August 2021 with nurses working in three different hospitals and filiation teams in two different cities. It was found that 93.4% of the nurses received training on the use of personal protective equipment, 58.3% thought that the equipment had poor quality, and 61% restricted their fluid intake while using personal protective equipment. It was also found that 48.2% of the nurses had pressure sores, 84.6% had excessive sweating, 44.3% had hyperthermia, and 52.6% had dehydration. In addition, 64.9% of the participants were found to experience latex allergy due to the use of gloves, 82% of them experienced pain/deformation in the auricle, and 89% of them had a headache due to the use of masks. In conclusion, this study determined that the majority of nurses experienced health problems related to the use of personal protective equipment, and more than half of them thought that the equipment had poor quality.