Problems Faced By Nursing Workers In Northeastern Slovenia During The Covid-19 Epidemic

Introduction: Coronavirus is the causative agent of a viral disease manifested by flu-like symptoms. The virus was first detected in Wuhan, China, in December 2020. It was named SARS-CoV-2. The disease caused by this pathogen is called COVID-19. The rapid spread of the virus has spread to many countries, causing a test or exposing the organization of health systems around the world. Healthcare workers are directly exposed to infection and intense work overload. The article is based on a quantitative research conducted among health care workers in north-eastern Slovenia who met infected patients or residents in nursing homes in their work process. Methods: In the research, we used a quantitative method of work, where we surveyed health professionals using a closed-ended questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of 25 questions related to demographics and workload. The data were statistically processed using IBM SPSS 23 and Microsoft Excel 2016 and the results were presented in the form of tables. Results: Based on the obtained data, we find that health care workers are more burdened than in general during the survey, which took place in the first wave of the epidemic in Slovenia. Most respondents believe that their number of working hours has remained the same and has not changed, but some still see an increase in the number of working hours. Workers face dissatisfaction, displeasure and fatigue. Discussion: The epidemic with COVID-19 in north-eastern Slovenia has brought health workers quite a few worries and adjustments, as well as new experiences.