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BACKGROUND: It is important to determine nurses' levels of knowledge, health-protective practices for work and social life, and mental health states at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic to combat the pandemic and minimize further problems. OBJECTIVES: To determine the relationships between knowledge levels, health-protective practices, and anxiety among nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was carried out with the online participation of 605 nurses in Turkey. The researchers prepared a questionnaire form to evaluate the participants' knowledge of COVID-19 and their awareness and health-protective behaviours in work and social life. The mental health statuses of the participants were assessed with the Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) questionnaire. RESULTS: Most of the participants (87.8%) had high levels of knowledge of COVID-19, while 28.8% had severe levels of anxiety disorder. The use of alcohol-based hand disinfectants (88.2%) and the use of N95 or N99 masks (88.5%) were the least frequently practiced protective behaviours at work, while in social life, a healthy and balanced diet (61.6%), social distancing (72.8%), and paying attention to one's sleep pattern (77.3%) were the least frequently practiced protective behaviours. Older age (41–50 years), higher education (master's degree) and having a work experience of 10 years or more were determined to increase the knowledge levels of the participants about COVID-19 (p < 0.001). Anxiety levels were higher in those with a history of mental illness (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Determining the knowledge levels, health-protective practices, and anxiety levels of nurses who are struggling in the frontlines in the field of health during the pandemic period can make a great contribution to the management of different current epidemics and pandemics and future ones by showing the areas in which nurses need to be empowered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Substance use among university students is a common problem in the world. However, there are insufficient data on its prevalence among health school students. Similarly, there are very few studies about the use of substances by health students in Turkey. These studies have been mostly limited to the use of alcohol and tobacco. To the best of our knowledge, no previous studies have examined the substance use among students studying at health-related departments. This study investigated the pattern of substance abuse and its relationship with social support, self-efficacy, emotional quality of life, and sociodemographic factors in health profession students. Data of the cross-sectional and correlational study were collected via WhatsApp. Participants completed a student information form, the Substance Abuse Proclivity Scale, the Drug Abuse Screening Test, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, the SF-36 Emotional Quality of Life Index, and the Self-Efficacy for Protecting from Substance Abuse Scale. Of the participants, 63.6% (n = 823) had a high proclivity for substance abuse. Students most frequently used cigarettes and cannabis, one of the narcotic drugs. Substance abuse and proclivity increased as the emotional quality of life, social support, and self-efficacy decreased (p <.05). Substance abuse proclivity and drug use were higher in men, immigrants, smokers and alcohol users, those with a trauma history, and those separated from their family (p <.05). Health education reduces substance use (p <.05). It is required to make attempts to prevent and eliminate substance abuse in health profession students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]