Factors affecting nurses' professional commitment during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study

Aim: This study aims to investigate the factors affecting nurses' professional commitment during the COVID-19 pandemic. Background: Commitment to a profession requires doing the best for that profession. In the case of the nursing profession, professional commitment gains greater importance in times of crisis, like the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted with 389 nurses in the Turkish state hospital. Institutional permissions, ethical approval and written consents from the participants were obtained before carrying out the study. Results: The participants’ mean Perceived Organizational Obstruction Scale score was 20.07 ± 8.06 (min = 5.0, max = 35.0), and their mean Nursing Professional Commitment Scale score was 71.20 ± 11.94 (min = 30.0, max = 103.0). Socio-demographic variables and perception of organisational obstruction predicted 36.7% of the variance in the professional commitment (p <.001). Conclusion: A road map based on the study results was developed for hospitals and nurse managers to maintain and increase nurses' professional commitment. Implications for Nursing Management: The results of this study may help institutions and nurse managers understand the factors affecting professional commitment during the pandemic as a whole, as well as determine primary strategies based on the importance of these factors.