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Nurses' Journey in the Pandemic: Fear of COVID-19 and Work Stress

Year 2023, , 661 - 666, 01.10.2023
https://doi.org/10.31067/acusaglik.1300882

Abstract

Purpose: During the pandemic, nurses have played an important role in the treatment and care of individuals with COVID-19. Fear of COVID-19 was added to the work stress experienced by nurses for various reasons before the pandemic. Revealing the processes that affect nurses' mental health during the pandemic is an important public health priority in terms of evaluating nurses' health and managing the effective delivery of nursing services. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between fear of COVID-19 and work stress in nurses working in hospitals.
Material and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted between February and April 2022 with 270 volunteer nurses. Data were collected using a Socio-demographic Characteristics Form, the Fear of COVID-19 Scale, and the Nurse Stress Scale. Descriptive statistical methods (counts, percentages, min-max, mean, and standard deviation values) and Pearson correlation analysis were employed to analyze the data.
Results: Participants' mean scores were 14.59±6.23 on the Fear of COVID-19 Scale and 62.46±11.44 on the Nurse Stress Scale. A statistically significant, positive, and low-level correlation was found between fear of COVID-19 and work stress (r=0.145, p<0.017).
Conclusion: Nurses' fear of COVID-19 and work stress was below a moderate level. As their fear of COVID-19 increased, their work stress increased, as well. Measures to be taken to reduce nurses' fear of COVID-19 can contribute positively to the reduction of their work stress and therefore to their health.

References

  • Belay ED, Kile JC, Hall AJ, et al. Zoonotic disease programs for enhancing global health security. Emerg Infect Dis 2017;23:65-70.
  • Petersen E, Petrosillo N, Koopmans M., et al. Emerging infection an increasingly important topic: review by the Emerging Infections Task Force. Clinical Microbiology and Infection 2018;24:369-75.
  • World Health Organization. WHO Coronavirus (COVID-19) Dashboard: Overview. [Accessed date: 08 April 2023]. Available from: https://covid19.who.int/
  • Kartoglu U, Pala K. Evaluation of COVID-19 pandemic management in Türkiye. Front Public Health 2023;11:1142471.
  • Xiao X, Zhu X, Fu S, Hu Y, Li X, Xiao J. Psychological impact of healthcare workers in China during COVID-19 pneumonia epidemic: A multi-center cross-sectional survey investigation. J Affect Disord 2020;274:405-410.
  • Aktura SÇ, Özden G. Psychological effects of the epidemic: Nurses of COVID-19. The Journal of International Social Research 2020;13(73):1146-51.
  • International Council of Nurses. (2020). ICN Call to Action: COVID-19. [Accessed date: 02 April 2023]. Available from: https://www.icn.ch/sites/default/files/inline-files/ICN%20COVID19%20update%20report%20FINAL.pdf
  • Kıraner E, Terzi B. Intensive Care Nursing in Covid-19 Pandemic Process. Yoğun Bakım Hemşireliği Dergisi 2020;24:83-88.
  • Cai H, Tu B, Ma J, et al. Psychological impact and coping strategies of frontline medical staff in Hunan between January and March 2020 during the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Hubei, China. Med Sci Monit 2020;26: e924171-1–e924171-16.
  • Rosa D, Terzoni S, Dellafiore F, Destrebecq A. Systematic review of shift work and nurses’ health. Occupational Medicine 2019;69(4):237-243.
  • Yousaf Z, Nassani AA, Haffar M. Destructive role of COVID-19 fear on nurses performance: Mediating role of stress. Nurs Rep 2021;11(4):955-964.
  • Ahorsu, DK, Lin CY, Imani V, Saffari M, Griffiths MD, Pakpour AH. The fear of COVID-19 scale: development and initial validation. Int J Ment Health Addict 2020; 1-9.
  • Ornell F, Schuch JB, Sordi AO, Kessler FHP. “Pandemic fear” and COVID-19: mental health burden and strategies. Braz J Psychiatry 2020;42:232-235.
  • De los Santos JAA, Labrague LJ. The impact of fear of COVID-19 on job stress, and turnover intentions of frontline nurses in the community: A cross-sectional study in the Philippines. Traumatology 2021;27(1):52-59.
  • Labrague LJ, De Los Santos, JAA. Fear of Covid‐19, psychological distress, work satisfaction and turnover intention among frontline nurses. Journal of Nursing Management 2021;29(3):395-403.
  • Karasar N. Bilimsel araştırma yöntemleri: Kavramlar, teknikler ve ilkeler, Ankara: Nobel Yayınevi; 2014.
  • Bakioğlu F, Korkmaz O, Ercan H. Fear of COVID-19 and positivity: Mediating role of intolerance of uncertainty, depression, anxiety, and stress. Int J Ment Health Addict 2021;19:2369-2382.
  • Gray-Toft P, Anderson JG. The nursing stress scale: development of an instrument. J Behav Assess 1981;3:11-23.
  • Mert S, Aydin Sayilan A, Baydemir C. Nurse Stress Scale (NSS): Reliability and validity of the Turkish version. Perspect Psychiatr Care 2021;57(2):443-454.
  • Ünver S, Yenigün SC. COVID-19 fear level of surgical nurses working in pandemic and surgical units. J Perianesth Nurs 2021; 711-716.
  • Hendy A, Abozeid A, Sallam G, Fattah HAA, Reshia FAA. Predictive factors affecting stress among nurses providing care at COVID‐19 isolation hospitals at Egypt. Nurs Open 2021;8(1):498-505.
  • Kiziloğlu B, Karabulut N. The effect of personality traits of surgical nurses on COVID-19 fear, work stress and psychological resilience in the pandemic. J Perianesth Nurs 2022;1-7.
  • Ekingen E, Teleş M, Yıldız A, Yıldırım M. Mediating effect of work stress in the relationship between fear of COVID-19 and nurses' organizational and professional turnover intentions. Arch Psychiatr Nurs 2023; 42:97-105.
Year 2023, , 661 - 666, 01.10.2023
https://doi.org/10.31067/acusaglik.1300882

Abstract

References

  • Belay ED, Kile JC, Hall AJ, et al. Zoonotic disease programs for enhancing global health security. Emerg Infect Dis 2017;23:65-70.
  • Petersen E, Petrosillo N, Koopmans M., et al. Emerging infection an increasingly important topic: review by the Emerging Infections Task Force. Clinical Microbiology and Infection 2018;24:369-75.
  • World Health Organization. WHO Coronavirus (COVID-19) Dashboard: Overview. [Accessed date: 08 April 2023]. Available from: https://covid19.who.int/
  • Kartoglu U, Pala K. Evaluation of COVID-19 pandemic management in Türkiye. Front Public Health 2023;11:1142471.
  • Xiao X, Zhu X, Fu S, Hu Y, Li X, Xiao J. Psychological impact of healthcare workers in China during COVID-19 pneumonia epidemic: A multi-center cross-sectional survey investigation. J Affect Disord 2020;274:405-410.
  • Aktura SÇ, Özden G. Psychological effects of the epidemic: Nurses of COVID-19. The Journal of International Social Research 2020;13(73):1146-51.
  • International Council of Nurses. (2020). ICN Call to Action: COVID-19. [Accessed date: 02 April 2023]. Available from: https://www.icn.ch/sites/default/files/inline-files/ICN%20COVID19%20update%20report%20FINAL.pdf
  • Kıraner E, Terzi B. Intensive Care Nursing in Covid-19 Pandemic Process. Yoğun Bakım Hemşireliği Dergisi 2020;24:83-88.
  • Cai H, Tu B, Ma J, et al. Psychological impact and coping strategies of frontline medical staff in Hunan between January and March 2020 during the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Hubei, China. Med Sci Monit 2020;26: e924171-1–e924171-16.
  • Rosa D, Terzoni S, Dellafiore F, Destrebecq A. Systematic review of shift work and nurses’ health. Occupational Medicine 2019;69(4):237-243.
  • Yousaf Z, Nassani AA, Haffar M. Destructive role of COVID-19 fear on nurses performance: Mediating role of stress. Nurs Rep 2021;11(4):955-964.
  • Ahorsu, DK, Lin CY, Imani V, Saffari M, Griffiths MD, Pakpour AH. The fear of COVID-19 scale: development and initial validation. Int J Ment Health Addict 2020; 1-9.
  • Ornell F, Schuch JB, Sordi AO, Kessler FHP. “Pandemic fear” and COVID-19: mental health burden and strategies. Braz J Psychiatry 2020;42:232-235.
  • De los Santos JAA, Labrague LJ. The impact of fear of COVID-19 on job stress, and turnover intentions of frontline nurses in the community: A cross-sectional study in the Philippines. Traumatology 2021;27(1):52-59.
  • Labrague LJ, De Los Santos, JAA. Fear of Covid‐19, psychological distress, work satisfaction and turnover intention among frontline nurses. Journal of Nursing Management 2021;29(3):395-403.
  • Karasar N. Bilimsel araştırma yöntemleri: Kavramlar, teknikler ve ilkeler, Ankara: Nobel Yayınevi; 2014.
  • Bakioğlu F, Korkmaz O, Ercan H. Fear of COVID-19 and positivity: Mediating role of intolerance of uncertainty, depression, anxiety, and stress. Int J Ment Health Addict 2021;19:2369-2382.
  • Gray-Toft P, Anderson JG. The nursing stress scale: development of an instrument. J Behav Assess 1981;3:11-23.
  • Mert S, Aydin Sayilan A, Baydemir C. Nurse Stress Scale (NSS): Reliability and validity of the Turkish version. Perspect Psychiatr Care 2021;57(2):443-454.
  • Ünver S, Yenigün SC. COVID-19 fear level of surgical nurses working in pandemic and surgical units. J Perianesth Nurs 2021; 711-716.
  • Hendy A, Abozeid A, Sallam G, Fattah HAA, Reshia FAA. Predictive factors affecting stress among nurses providing care at COVID‐19 isolation hospitals at Egypt. Nurs Open 2021;8(1):498-505.
  • Kiziloğlu B, Karabulut N. The effect of personality traits of surgical nurses on COVID-19 fear, work stress and psychological resilience in the pandemic. J Perianesth Nurs 2022;1-7.
  • Ekingen E, Teleş M, Yıldız A, Yıldırım M. Mediating effect of work stress in the relationship between fear of COVID-19 and nurses' organizational and professional turnover intentions. Arch Psychiatr Nurs 2023; 42:97-105.
There are 23 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Nursing
Journal Section Research Article
Authors

Saadet Güzel 0000-0001-9553-0562

Serap Açıkgöz 0000-0003-0001-3410

Early Pub Date September 19, 2023
Publication Date October 1, 2023
Submission Date May 29, 2023
Published in Issue Year 2023

Cite

EndNote Güzel S, Açıkgöz S (October 1, 2023) Nurses’ Journey in the Pandemic: Fear of COVID-19 and Work Stress. Acıbadem Üniversitesi Sağlık Bilimleri Dergisi 14 4 661–666.