Evaluation of the anxiety of nurses working in Al-Nasirsyah city isolation centers during coronavirus pandemic

The nursing profession plays a fundamental role in fostering societal cohesion through care and empathy. Nurses often serve as the initial point of contact for patients within a hospital, significantly influencing the quality of healthcare. The effectiveness of healthcare delivery is intricately linked to the well-being of nursing staff. Particularly, during the challenging circumstances brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, nurses facing mental health challenges may struggle to fully dedicate themselves to their demanding responsibilities. Recognizing the paramount importance of safeguarding the health of healthcare workers, this cross-sectional descriptive study focuses on understanding anxiety levels among nurses working in isolation centers during the Covid-19 epidemic. The study aims to shed light on the mental well-being of these nurses at Nasiriyah city in Iraq and provide them with an avenue to address the professional difficulties they encounter. Ultimately, the research seeks to ascertain the prevalence of anxiety among nurses in isolation centers and explore the various factors influencing their anxiety levels.The research was conducted in a descriptive cross-sectional type in order to determine the level of anxiety among nurses working in isolation centers at Nasiriyah city in Iraq, The population of the study consisted of 200 Nurses who work in isolations center at Nasiriyah city in Iraq , between November 2022 and February 2023 and meeting the sampling criteria. As a data collection tool; employed a socio-demographic questionnaire and the general anxiety disorder-7 scale to gather pertinent data from the participating nurses. Statistical significance level was accepted as p<0.05.The results showed that the majority of participants were female, under the age of 28, have less than 5 years of experience and had a diploma in education level . They were more anxious in this study. Also the results of study seen a statistically significant difference in scale scores was identified based on the marital status and chronic disease of the participants where they had anxiety .Key contributors to anxiety included the lack of prior experience in managing epidemics, fear of contracting the virus, inadequate provision of protective equipment, insufficient knowledge about the latest developments and control methods of the disease, a deficit in training courses and ongoing assessments, as well as challenges in sleep maintenance and emotional self-regulation. These factors collectively underscore the need for targeted interventions to alleviate anxiety among nursing professionals in such demanding environments