Nurses´ knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding Mpox: scoping review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29352/mill0228.43559Keywords:
Keywords: Mpox; health knowledge; attitudes and health practicesAbstract
Introduction: Mpox, a re-emerging zoonotic disease, was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the World Health Organization. Nurses play a key role in early detection, infection prevention and control, health education, and psychosocial sup-port. However, their knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding Mpox remain insufficiently consolidated.
Objective: To map existing evidence on nurses’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding Mpox.
Methods: A scoping review was conducted following the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology. Searches were performed in Google Scholar, MEDLINE, B-On, ProQuest, and PubMed (September 2025). Eligible studies included quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-method designs, systematic reviews, and grey literature published in English, Spanish, or Portuguese. Study selection and data extraction were carried out independently by two reviewers.
Results: Eight studies published between 2023 and 2025 were included. Nurses generally showed low-to-moderate levels of knowledge, with persistent gaps in understanding transmission routes and infection prevention measures. Attitudes towards Mpox management were consistently positive, reflecting willingness to learn and to adhere to preventive recommendations. In contrast, reported practices were uneven, largely shaped by limited resources, unclear protocols, and a lack of sustained institutional support.
Conclusion: Nurses’ positive attitudes toward Mpox provide a strong foundation for outbreak preparedness. Nevertheless, knowledge gaps and systemic barriers hinder the consistent implementation of effective practices. Educational interventions, integration of emerg-ing diseases into nursing curricula, and sustained institutional support are essential to ensure safe care and strengthen resilience against future infectious disease outbreaks.
Downloads
References
Ahmed, S. K., Dabou, E. A., Ibrahim, F. M., Mohammed, M. G., Chandran, D., Basit, J., Chakraborty, S., Emran, T. B., Islam, R., & Dhama, K. (2024). Challenges and counteracting strategies including optimum health service practices for frontline nurses during the Mpox outbreak and futuristic vision. SAGE Open Nursing, 10. https://doi.org/10.1177/23779608241256209
Eurosurveillance editorial team. (2024). Note from the editors: WHO declares mpox outbreak a public health emergency of international concern. Eurosurveillance, 29(33). https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2024.29.33.240815v
Gao, Y., Li, F. Y., & Xu, L. Z. (2024). Knowledge and attitudes towards monkeypox (Mpox) among nurses in China: A cross-sectional study. IJID Regions, 10, 100539. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijregi.2024.100539
Gilmore, J. P., Noone, C., Sibandze, B. T., & Field, D. J. (2024). What nurses can learn from the Mpox public health emergency of international concern. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 80(12), 4333–4336. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.16157
Ibrahim, A. M., Abd El-kader, R. G., Ibrahim, A. A. E., & Kishk, D. M. A. (2024). Effect of monkeypox nano-teaching sessions versus self-learning on nurses’ knowledge, attitude, and confidence in disease diagnosis and management. International Journal of Africa Nursing Sciences, 21, 100713. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijans.2024.100713
International Council of Nurses. (2022). Nursing definitions. https://encurtador.com.br/enER
International Council of Nurses. (2024). Mpox: Statement on continued global outbreak and the role of nurses. https://sl1nk.com/kNkWk
International Council of Nurses. (2021). Nursing definitions. https://www.icn.ch/resources/nursing-definitions/current-nursing-definitions
Jahromi, A. S., Khodaie, R., Rahmanian, V., Sadeghi, R., Saki, M., Mehrabi, M., & Shafiee, A. (2023). Global knowledge and attitudes towards mpox (monkeypox) among healthcare workers: A systematic review and meta-analysis. International Health, 16(5), 487–498. https://doi.org/10.1093/inthealth/ihad094
Karacan, Y., Bayram, R., & Budak, S. (2025). Nurses’ knowledge and anxiety about human monkeypox virus infection: A cross-sectional study. Nursing & Health Sciences, 27(2), e70162. https://doi.org/10.1111/nhs.70162
Kocatepe, V., Yildirim, D., & Türkmenoğlu, A. (2025). Evaluation of nurses’ perception of monkeypox in terms of epidemic anxiety, stress levels and compliance with isolation measures. BMC Nursing, 24(1), 878. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-025-03530-x
Peters, M. D. J., Godfrey, C. M., McInerney, P., Munn, Z., Tricco, A. C., & Khalil, H. (2020). Chapter 11: Scoping reviews. In E. Aromataris & Z. Munn (Eds.), JBI manual for evidence synthesis. JBI. https://doi.org/10.46658/JBIMES-20-12
Rony, M. K. K., Sharmi, P. D., Akter, D., Parvin, M. R., & Alamgir, H. M. (2023). Knowledge and attitude regarding human monkeypox virus infection among nurses: A cross-sectional study. SAGE Open Nursing, 9. https://doi.org/10.1177/23779608231216619
Sadek, B. N., Hendy, A., Alhowaymel, F. M., Abaoud, A. F., Alenezi, A., & Ali, E. A. (2024). Are pediatric nurses prepared to respond to monkeypox outbreak? PLOS ONE, 19(4), e0300225. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0300225
Sobaikhi, N. H., Alshahrani, N. Z., Hazazi, R. S., Al-Musawa, H. I., Jarram, R. E., Alabah, A. E., Haqawi, N. F., Munhish, F. A., Shajeri, M. A., Matari, M. H., Salami, R. M., Hobani, A. H., Yahya, N. A., & Alhazmi, A. H. (2023). Health workers' knowledge and attitude towards monkeypox in southwestern Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional study. Diseases, 11(2), 81. https://doi.org/10.3390/diseases11020081
Theban, A. A., Samman, A. A., Jayash, K. M., & Jayash, E. M. (2024). Knowledge and attitude regarding monkeypox among Saudi MOH primary healthcare nurses in Jeddah: A cross-sectional study. Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care, 13(1), 175–181. https://doi.org/10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_919_23
World Health Organization. (2023). Clinical management and infection prevention and control for monkeypox: Interim rapid response guidance. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/B09434
World Health Organization. (2025). Mpox situation updates and response strategies. https://www.who.int/emergencies/situations/mpox-outbreak
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Millenium - Journal of Education, Technologies, and Health
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who submit proposals for this journal agree to the following terms:
a) Articles are published under the Licença Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0), in full open-access, without any cost or fees of any kind to the author or the reader;
b) The authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication, allowing the free sharing of work, provided it is correctly attributed the authorship and initial publication in this journal;
c) The authors are permitted to take on additional contracts separately for non-exclusive distribution of the version of the work published in this journal (eg, post it to an institutional repository or as a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal;
d) Authors are permitted and encouraged to publish and distribute their work online (eg, in institutional repositories or on their website) as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as increase the impact and citation of published work
Documents required for submission
Article template (Editable format)
