Abstract:

This significant study aimed to determine Ghanaian nurses' knowledge, perception, and preparedness for a pandemic or another wave of COVID-19. This comprehensive, cross-sectional study was conducted between May and July 2023. The questionnaire, a crucial tool, was distributed through Facebook, WhatsApp, and other social media links. A total of 1347 responses from the nurses, a substantial number, were collected from all 16 regions of Ghana. The inclusion criteria, a key aspect, are based on the in-service nurses directly linked with hospitals and medical facilities who had direct contact with patients. About twice the number of female nurses (906, 67.3%) responded to the survey compared to 441, 32.7% (males). As the study reveals, Ghanaian nurses were knowledgeable, had a good perception, and were prepared for a pandemic or another wave of Covid-19. There was a strong correlation, a significant finding, between the nurse's years of practice and the risk of perception. Also, female nurses (67.3%) know more about the virus spread and treatment than their male counterparts (32.7%). Unfortunately, the level of preparedness for a pandemic or another wave of COVID-19 was low.

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