LAUSR

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has not only caused significant challenges for health-systems worldwide, but also fueled a surge in misinformation. Purpose Nurses as frontline healthcare providers should be equipped with the most accurate information on COVID-19; thus, this study examines nurses’ knowledge and strategies of information credibility sourcing. Method A cross-sectional survey among nurses and laypersons with no healthcare background. The questionnaire dealt with knowledge and ability assess credibility of COVID-19 information. Findings Nurses' knowledge of COVID-19 preventative behaviors was significantly higher than that of laypersons; however, there was no difference in science-based knowledge of COVID-19. In contrast to laypersons, nurses in this study were better able to discern the credibility of health-related information about COVID-19 than laypersons. Yet they rarely used scientific criteria in evaluating conflicting information. Discussion Given the importance of assessing the credibility of information, both information literacy skills and science-based knowledge about COVID-19 should be offered.