Abstract
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic presented important challenges for the education of nursing students to provide health care with competence, quality, and safety.
Objectives: The purpose was to analyze knowledge, behavior, and perception of risk regarding COVID-19 and associated factors.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 2637 Brazilian undergraduate nursing students using a self-reported online survey.
Results: Students' knowledge about COVID-19 in general was considered inadequate. Students had limited knowledge about preventive measures in the hospital environment and recommendations for aerosol precautions. More than 90% of graduates adopted recommended prevention measures, and 86.1% perceived themselves to be at a greater risk of acquired SARS-CoV-2 during clinical practice.
Conclusions: The results show the need to rethink undergraduate nursing education regarding the prevention and control of infectious diseases, including the most appropriate strategies for COVID-19 prevention measures.