Impact of Protective Equipment on Nurses' Positive-Negative Affects and Perceived Stress Levels: A Descriptive, Cross-Sectional, and Analytical Study

Aim: This study aimed to investigate the effect of personal protective equipment use on nurses' emotions and stress perceptions during the COVID-19 pandemic.Material and Methods: This descriptive, cross-sectional and analytical study was conducted with 389 nurses working in a state hospital in Türkiye. Study data were collected using the Positive-Negative Emotion Scale and the Perceived Stress Scale.Results: The mean positive emotion score of the participants was 27.20±5.95, the mean negative emotion score was 31.12±6.66, and the mean perceived stress score was 40.57±7.17. Positive emotion was significantly higher according to gender, department worked in, and having sufficient equipment (p=0.010; p=0.001; p=0.001; p=0.001, respectively); income status, working hours; department worked in, negative emotions according to having sufficient equipment (p=0.007; p=0.001; p=0.001; p=0.006, respectively); the difference between the mean scores of perceived stress according to age, income status, working years, working hours, department worked in, and having sufficient equipment is statistically significant (p=0.044; p=0.001; p=0.014; p=0.005; p=0.022; p=0.001, respectively). It was determined that the use of only visors among protective equipment reduced positive emotions (p0.05); the use of all equipment, overalls and boxing increased negative emotions, and the use of masks reduced (p0.05); the use of all protective equipment increased perceived stress; and the use of only masks reduced perceived stress (p0.05).Conclusion: It was determined that the use of protective equipment affected nurses' positive-negative emotions and perception of stress.