Abstract
Background and aims: Allergic rhinitis is a debilitating disease which may lead to impaired quality of life and be related to psychological stress in nurses caring for COVID-19. This study examined the relationship between job stress and allergic rhinitis in nurses caring for COVID-19 patients in educational centers affiliated to Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran in 2021. Methods: This is a descriptive-analytical research conducted on 230 hospital nurses caring for COVID-19 patients in the city of Ahvaz. Patient recruitment was done using stratified random sampling method. The data collection tools included a demographic questionnaire, the Score for Allergic Rhinitis (SFAR), and French et al.'s the Expanded Nursing Stress Scale (ENSS). Results: This study showed that the mean ± standard deviation of occupational stress of the nurses caring for COVID-19 was 96.017 ± 35.946, which indicates slight level of occupational stress among them. The mean ± standard deviation of allergic rhinitis scores among the nurses under study was 6.13 ± 3.484, and its prevalence among nurses was 104 (46.01%). A significant correlation was observed between nursing occupational stress and allergic rhinitis among nurses caring for COVID-19 (P=0.019 and r=0.154). Conclusion: Increasing awareness among health professionals of the link between job stress and allergic rhinitis is a top priority. Further research into any causal relationship between job stress and allergic rhinitis, as well as preventative public health plans for decreasing job stress in nurses are needed.