Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2025 Jun;27(2):e70162.
doi: 10.1111/nhs.70162.

Nurses' Knowledge and Anxiety About Human Monkeypox Virus Infection: A Cross-Sectional Study

Yasemin Karacan  1 , Rıdvan Bayram  2 , Serkan Budak  3
Affiliations

Nurses' Knowledge and Anxiety About Human Monkeypox Virus Infection: A Cross-Sectional Study

Yasemin Karacan et al. Nurs Health Sci. 2025 Jun.

Abstract

This study evaluated the knowledge and anxiety levels of nurses in Türkiye regarding human monkeypox virus (Mpox) infection and explored related factors such as institutional training and preparedness. A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted between October 2024 and January 2025 with 214 actively employed nurses. Data were collected using a socio-demographic questionnaire, a nurse introduction form, a form assessing thoughts about Mpox, a knowledge assessment form, and the Epidemic Anxiety Scale (EAS). The mean epidemic anxiety score was 48.36 ± 19.26, with significantly higher anxiety levels among female nurses. Greater Mpox knowledge was associated with higher job satisfaction, access to institutional information, and participation in training. Fear of infection, fear of transmitting the virus, and fear of losing loved ones significantly influenced knowledge levels. Each unit increase in perceived information adequacy was associated with a 6.56-point rise in knowledge scores. The findings reveal a substantial knowledge gap about Mpox among nurses in Türkiye, which may hinder outbreak preparedness. Strengthening educational initiatives and integrating epidemic management into nursing curricula are essential to improving nurses' readiness and protecting public health.

Keywords: Monkeypox; anxiety; disease outbreaks; knowledge; nurses.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Ratios of correct, incorrect, and do not know answers of nurses' Mpox knowledge.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Akkuş, Y. , Karacan Y., Güney R., and Kurt B.. 2022. “Experiences of Nurses Working With COVID‐19 Patients: A Qualitative Study.” Journal of Clinical Nursing 31, no. 9–10: 1243–1257. 10.1111/jocn.15979. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Alhumaid, S. , Al Mutair A., Al Alawi Z., et al. 2021. “Knowledge of Infection Prevention and Control Among Healthcare Workers and Factors Influencing Compliance: A Systematic Review.” Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control 10, no. 1: 1–32. 10.1186/s13756-021-00957-0. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Aljamaan, F. , Alenezi S., Alhasan K., et al. 2022. “Healthcare Workers' Worries and Monkeypox Vaccine Advocacy During the First Month of the Who Monkeypox Alert: Cross‐Sectional Survey in Saudi Arabia.” Vaccine 10, no. 1408: 1–15. 10.3390/vaccines10091408. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Amer, F. A. , Nofal H. A., Gebriel M. G., et al. 2024. “Grasping Knowledge, Attitude, and Perception Towards Monkeypox Among Healthcare Workers and Medical Students: An Egyptian Cross‐Sectional Study.” Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology 14, no. February: 1–10. 10.3389/fcimb.2024.1339352. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Aynalem, Z. B. , Abate M. D., Meseret F., et al. 2024. “Knowledge, Attitude and Associated Factors of Monkeypox ınfection Among Healthcare Workers in ınjibara General Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia.” Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare 17, no. March: 1159–1173. 10.2147/JMDH.S454828. - DOI - PMC - PubMed