Background: COVID -19 infection, the current pandemic, is a global emergency in
more than 150 countries. Health care professionals are struggling to prevent the transmission
of this highly contagious disease. Although there are numerous publications relating to
dialysis and COVID-19, many are in the form of preliminary reports. Aim: The current study
aimed to assess the efficacy of the COVID-19 prevention educational program on nurses'
knowledge and practices at hemodialysis unit. Method: A quasi-experimental pre/post-
intervention design was used with a convenience sample of 30 nurses working in the
Hemodialysis Unit at Mansoura University Hospital. The data were collected by using three
tools: COVID_19 infection structured questionnaire, nurses' practices observational checklist,
and COVID-19 infection control perceived barriers. Results: Statistically significant
differences were noted in the total mean scores of nurses' knowledge and practices regarding
the prevention of COVID-19 infection before and after the educational program.
Overcrowded at a hemodialysis unit and insufficient supplies for implementation of infection
control practices have been mentioned as perceived barriers by the majority (93.3%) of our
participant nurses. Conclusion and Recommendations: Educational program had a positive
effect in improving nurses' knowledge and practices toward the prevention of COVID-19
infection, and this will be positively reflected on patients' outcomes. Hence, it is
recommended to provide the nurses more organizing continuous educational programs with
continuous follow-up to keep them competent and up-to-date.