Nurses' experiences of caring for people with COVID-19 in Hong Kong: a qualitative enquiry

Influence of Nurses' Perceptions of Government Policies and COVID-19 Risks on Their Mental Health Status: A Web-Based Cross-Sectional Study

This study aimed to understand nurses' perceptions of COVID-19-related policies and risks during the outbreak of COVID-19 in Hong Kong and to determine how their perceptions influenced their mental health status. A web-based online survey among Hong Kong nurses was conducted. The questionnaire included a self-designed 5-point Likert scale with 17 items to assess the nurses' perceptions of COVID-19-related policies and risks, as well as the Davidson Trauma Scale (DTS), the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2) and the Generalised Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD) for measurement of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), stress, depression and anxiety, respectively. Of 592 nurses enrolled, 30.6% had PTSD (DTS total score ≥40), and 80.4%, 19.9% and 16.4% had moderate-to-high levels of stress (PSS-10 score ≥14), depression (PHQ-2 score ≥3) and anxiety (GAD score ≥3), respectively. The top three concerned aspects were 'worried about themselves and friends to suffer this disease' (84.5%), 'insufficient number of isolation wards' (81.8%) and 'insufficient number of personal protective equipment' (74.3%). Logistic regression analyses showed that more negative perception on 'personal protective equipment in the healthcare institutions', 'the confidence in HK's control of COVID-19', 'worried about themselves and friends to suffer this disease' and 'self-perceived risk of infection' indicated higher severity of the four mental health problems (all p < 0.01). The perception on 'public gathering ban', 'the number of isolation wards' and 'expected time to control COVID-19' were significantly associated with PTSD and stress (all p < 0.05). Nurses' perception on government policies and COVID-19 risks played an important role in predicting their mental health status. Policy makers should be aware of nurses' psychological responses and provide timely and targeted emotional support to nurses amid and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Qualitative study on the core competencies of nursing personnel in emergency medical rescue teams at comprehensive hospitals in Chongqing, China

OBJECTIVE

As an integral part of emergency medical rescue teams during public health events, understanding the core competencies that nursing personnel should possess-including theoretical knowledge, practical skills, comprehensive abilities and personal traits-can provide a practical basis for better preparation and targeted training for future emergency rescue works. Thus, this study aims to provide a scientific and applicable reference for perfecting the routine training strategy of nursing personnel assembled by emergency medical rescue teams and improving the overall guarantee ability level of this group.

DESIGN

This is a qualitative study conducted using individual semi-structured interviews. All interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim for the purpose of thematic analysis and extraction.

SETTING

Participants were recruited from February to March 2023, from four comprehensive hospitals in Chongqing China with the highest number of emergency relief works.

PARTICIPANTS

A sample of experts (N=15) with extensive experience in emergency relief works was recruited in Chongqing, China.

RESULTS

60% of the experts held master's degrees or higher, 73.3% held senior or higher titles, 36.7% had participated in work execution more than five times and 73.3% held leadership positions in their current units and in the execution of emergency relief works. Four main themes and 22 corresponding subthemes were derived for the core competencies required for nursing personnel selected for emergency medical rescue teams in public health events, including theoretical knowledge, practical skills, comprehensive abilities and personal traits.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study revealed that through interviews with 15 experts with extensive experience in the public health event, the essential elements of core competencies for nursing personnel assigned to emergency medical rescue teams during the public health event were identified. These can serve as a reference standard for the selection of nursing personnel in public health events, and provide a basis for the cultivation and evaluation of competency for nursing personnel assigned to emergency medical rescue teams in the public health event in China and globally.

"We felt so proud by the president calling us my heroes." An exploration of the nurse's experiences in the management of COVID-19 patients in Uganda

INTRODUCTION

Adequate and intensive nursing care was a key characteristic of recovery of the COVID-19 patients globally and in Uganda. However, there is limited literature on the experiences of nurses who participated in the care of COVID-19 patients in Uganda, East Africa, and Africa at large, yet imperative in designing approaches to increase the efficiency of the health systems' response to future pandemics. To address this gap, this study aimed to explore the experiences of the nurses who managed COVID-19 patients at Mulago National Referral Hospital in Uganda.

METHODS

This was an exploratory qualitative study that used purposive sampling to identify 21 nurses who treated COVID-19 patients at Mulago National Referral Hospital in Uganda. Focus Group Discussions were used to collect data. Thematic Analysis was used to analyze the data. Common codes were identified and grouped to create subthemes and major themes.

RESULTS

Six themes were identified: 1) Motivation to work on COVID-19 patients, 2 ) Roles performed by nurses, 3) High workload and professional role strain, 4) Challenges with maintaining personal health and relationships, 5) Institutional and government support, 6) Acquired professional knowledge and skills to manage critical patients and epidemics. Most of the nurses faced work burnout, social isolation, stress, and psychological trauma. However, interprofessional collaboration, financial incentives, government recognition, and provision of personal protective equipment, were key motivators for the nurses. The majority reported to have gained new knowledge and skills in the management of pandemics and highly infectious diseases.

CONCLUSION

The nurses experienced negative scenarios like work burnout due to high workload, social isolation, and psychological stress. Therefore, there is a need for health systems to develop approaches and policies that support nurses' well-being. Nevertheless, key attributes like resilience, adaptability, and diligence to serve enabled them to persevere despite the hardships faced.

Trajectory analysis of the work and life experience of healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: a longitudinal qualitative study

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic has posed a global health threat and has had a profoundly negative impact on the work and lives of healthcare workers. However, few people know how their experiences have evolved over time.

AIMS

To describe healthcare workers' experiences during clinical responses to COVID-19 and how they changed over time.

DESIGN

A longitudinal qualitative study.

METHODS

We undertook a series of four semi-structured qualitative interviews of 14 healthcare workers called as 1st responders to the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants were recruited through purposive snowball sampling. Interviews were undertaken between May 2020 and May 2022 and trajectory approach was used to reveal individual experiences over time. This paper follows the COREQ (Consolidated criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research) guidance.

RESULTS

Data analysis yielded the following four themes: (1) Changes in emotions; (2) Changes in organization and management of care; (3) Changes in knowledge and capabilities; and (4) Changes in outlook on life and career.

CONCLUSION

Healthcare workers have become stronger in the pandemic and have demonstrated a high degree of professional loyalty and responsibility. However, there is a need to focus on the issue of jealousy and create a harmonious and safe work environment to reduce harm to healthcare workers. Additionally, human resource management strategies must support well-being of healthcare workers and maximize the efficiency of human resource utilization to enable them to respond to current and future needs and emergencies.

A literature review on the impact of disasters on healthcare systems, the role of nursing in disaster management, and strategies for cancer care delivery in disaster-affected populations

This review article highlights the critical role of nurses in disaster management, with a specific focus on addressing blood tumors in disaster-affected populations. Disasters have a significant impact on healthcare systems and populations, and nurses play a crucial role in disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. The article provides case studies and successful examples of nursing interventions in disaster settings and tumor management, emphasizing the challenges and opportunities in providing cancer care in disaster settings. Recommendations for future research and practice in disaster nursing and blood tumor care are also presented. This information is essential for healthcare professionals and policymakers involved in disaster management, as well as researchers and clinicians working in the field of cancer care.

The Lived Experiences of Nurses Caring for Patients With COVID-19 in Arabian Gulf Countries: A Multisite Descriptive Phenomenological Study

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, several studies worldwide have explored nurses' experiences of caring for COVID-19 patients in various healthcare settings. However, these studies were conducted in context, culture, and healthcare systems that differ greatly from the Arabian Gulf context. This descriptive phenomenological study aimed to understand nurses' lived experiences caring for patients diagnosed with COVID-19 in Arabian Gulf countries. Individual virtual interviews were conducted with 36 nurses from five countries and were analyzed using Giorgi's methodology. Four main themes were identified: (1) living with doubts, (2) living through the chaos of challenges, (3) moving toward professional resilience, and (4) reaching the maximum level of potential. The findings from this study hopefully will guide health organizations in this region in developing strategies and policies to support and prepare nurses for future outbreaks.

Ethical challenges faced by nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic: a scoping review protocol

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this scoping review is to describe the literature reporting on ethical challenges faced by nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic, including the contextual characteristics of ethical challenges, and strategies to address reported challenges.

INTRODUCTION

The COVID-19 pandemic presented many ethical challenges to nurses, ranging from allocating scarce resources, to balancing a duty of care with self-preservation and implementing visitation restrictions. Internationally, there has been a range of reported issues, but few studies describe strategies to overcome these challenges.

INCLUSION CRITERIA

Studies that report on ethical challenges faced by nurses while caring for patients during the COVID-19 pandemic will be included. Studies that report on strategies to address these challenges will also be considered for inclusion.

METHODS

This scoping review will be conducted in accordance with methods outlined by JBI and reported on using PRISMA-ScR guidance. The following databases will be searched for eligible studies from November 2019 to present day: PubMed, CINAHL, Ovid, PsycINFO, the Cochrane Library, and Scopus. No language restrictions will be applied. Studies will be reviewed for inclusion by 2 independent reviewers and a data extraction form developed specifically for this review will be used to extract data relevant to the review questions. Results will be analyzed and presented according to the concepts of interest, using tables, figures, images, and supporting narrative synthesis.

Psychological distress experienced by nurses amid the fifth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong: A qualitative study

Introduction

The fifth wave of COVID-19 has significantly overburdened the health care system in Hong Kong. Health care professionals, particularly nurses continue to experience significant levels of psychological distress when tackling this ongoing outbreak. Yet, no study has explored the psychological experiences of nurses during the most recent outbreak of the highly transmissible Omicron variant in Hong Kong. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore the psychological distress experienced by nurses during the fifth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong.

Methods

Twenty-two nurses (14 female and 8 male nurses; average age, 36.7 ± 8.5 years) were recruited to attend the one-to-one semi-structured telephone interviews from June to July, 2022. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis.

Results

Four main themes emerged from the interview: (1) Intense fear, worry, and anxiety; (2) Feeling worn out and psychologically distress; (3) Impact on psychosocial and physical health; and (4) Limited options to cope with psychological distress during the difficult times.

Discussion

Our study findings may provide concerned stakeholders with useful insights into reducing the psychological distress experienced by nurses in Hong Kong. Offering psychological support is of paramount importance to address the unmet psychological needs of nurses and reduce their psychological distress during the pandemic, particularly when they are working under high levels of workplace stress.

'Caring for the helpers': factors associated with professional quality of life among Hong Kong nurses during the fifth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND

Western studies have found that nurses are likely to experience both positive and negative emotions in their job, as a helping profession [professional quality of life (ProQoL)] during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and that psychosocial and work-related variables (e.g. pandemic-related stressors, interpersonal and organizational support, coping strategies) are associated with such outcomes. However, relevant studies on nurses in the Asian context are limited.

OBJECTIVE

This study examined the psychosocial correlates of three indicators of ProQoL, i.e. compassion satisfaction, secondary traumatic stress (STS), and burnout, among nurses during the fifth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong.

METHOD

Nurses in Hong Kong (N = 220) working in hospitals and community settings during the COVID-19 pandemic were recruited between 24 May and 27 June 2022 through nursing associations to complete an online survey measuring the aforementioned psychosocial variables.

RESULTS

Hierarchical regression results found that stressors from clinical work environments, insufficient emotional support, and less positive reframing were associated with poorer ProQoL (i.e. lower compassion satisfaction; higher STS and burnout) (β from 0.16, p > .05, to 0.44, p > .001). In addition, COVID-19-related worries/uncertainties and emotional processing were associated with higher STS (β from 0.21 to 0.23, p < .01), whereas insufficient organizational support for communication with the healthcare system was associated with higher burnout (β = 0.12, p < .05).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings identified the important psychosocial determinants in ProQoL among nurses in Hong Kong and provide recommendations for services supporting the mental health of these nurses. Providing workshops for nurses to train their skills in coping with COVID-19-related uncertainties, worries, and stressors from the clinical work environment, in using adaptive coping strategies (e.g. positive reframing), and in soliciting emotional support from important others could facilitate their ProQoL. Moreover, the provision of organizational support through timely and transparent communication with the healthcare system could reduce STS in nurses.

Psychological impact of COVID-19 on nurses caring for patients during COVID-19 pandemic in Gaborone

AIM

Nurses as front liners have direct contact with COVID-19 patients during the pandemic. Carrying the heavy burden during the pandemic has a mental health toll on healthcare professionals. The study explored nurses' experiences of psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic in Botswana's two COVID-19 special care centres.

DESIGN

The study used qualitative case study research to solicit nurses' experiences caring for patients with COVID-19 in selected COVID-19 centres in Gaborone.

METHOD

Researchers purposively recruited nurses from two COVID-19 centres in Botswana. Data were collected using semi-structured telephone interviews and analysed through inductive thematic analysis. Various institutional review boards ethically cleared the study.

RESULTS

Six themes emerged from the thematic analysis: feelings of fear and anxiety, hopelessness and helplessness, loneliness, physical distress, support mechanism and commitment to care.

PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

The results offer important insights into the nurses' experiences during the COVI-19 pandemic.

Nurses' Experiences of Caring for Patients with COVID-19: A Qualitative Study

The purpose of this study was to explore nurses' experiences, abilities, and willingness to care for patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). A descriptive qualitative study was conducted among 12 nurses working with patients with COVID-19. Purposive sampling was used to recruit participants from two national hospitals in Jordan. Semi-structured interviews (45-90 minutes each) with open-ended questions were held via Zoom to collect data. Four major themes emerged from the data analysis. The first theme, uncertainty, consisted of two subthemes: new experience and lack of training. The second theme was related to social stigma by society and other staff members. The third theme of front-line fighters consisted of two subthemes: empowering the main health caregiver and community acknowledgment. The fourth theme was related to challenges and consisted of two subthemes: physical and psychological challenges. At the beginning of the outbreak of COVID-19, the nurses had experienced a lack of certainty, physical and psychological challenges, and social stigmatization, which had negatively affected their willingness and ability to fight the outbreak. However, the nurses reported growing professionally and psychologically with time and becoming more knowledgeable, skillful, powerful, and confident care providers during the pandemic. Being able to fulfill their responsibilities and being acknowledged by others gave the nurses a sense of achievement. Early education and training about COVID-19, clear infection control protocols and guidelines, psychological counseling, and adequate social support are essential steps for enhancing nurses' mental well-being and willingness and ability to fight COVID-19.

Lived experience of Jordanian front-line healthcare workers amid the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to explore the lived experience of Jordanian front-line healthcare workers (FHCWs), including their experienced challenges and adaptations amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

DESIGN

A phenomenological qualitative design was used to highlight the experiences of a sample Jordanian FHCWs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Qualitative interviews were conducted using a semistructured guide with open-ended questions, audiotaped and then transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis of the transcribed narratives was conducted using an open coding line by line to develop themes and related subthemes.

SETTING

Mobile COVID-19 testing and contact tracing units during an active surge of cases in Jordan between May and September 2020.

PARTICIPANTS

Participants were recruited using purposive sampling method and consisted of 15 FHCWs (2 physicians, 10 nurses, 2 paramedics and 1 laboratory technician) who have worked in testing and contact tracing teams in the community and have dealt with suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19 infection.

RESULTS

Participant narratives were classified into two main overarching themes; challenges and adaptation themes. The challenges theme was exhibited as follows: (1) an excruciating encounter with an invisible enemy, (2) distorted knowledge about COVID-19 and (3) organisational and administrative challenges. The adaptation theme was exhibited as follows: (1) seeking relevant knowledge about the disease and (2) seeking more connectedness.

CONCLUSIONS

The COVID-19 pandemic exerted many challenges for FHCWs at multiple levels; intrapersonal and interpersonal, organisational and societal levels. Nevertheless, a number of adaptation strategies within these levels have been reported. This study helps to provide the base on which healthcare officials and public health personnel can formulate preparedness plans that tackle challenges faced by front-line workers, which ultimately enhance the resilience of healthcare systems to withstand future pandemics.

Experiences and needs of front-line nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review and qualitative meta-synthesis

Background

Front-line nurses have played a critical role during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. A number of qualitative studies reported front-line nurses' experiences and needs in caring for patients with COVID-19. However, the application of evidence from a single qualitative study to guide clinical practice has limitations. This study aimed to explore front-line nurses' experiences and needs during the COVID-19 pandemic through a qualitative meta-synthesis.

Methods

Seven databases were searched from 1 December 2019 to 20 January 2022, including PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane COVID-19 study register, CINAHL, PsycINFO, MedRxiv, and bioRxiv. The quality of included studies was appraised using the Critical Appraisal Skills Program (CASP) qualitative research appraisal tool. Meta-synthesis was used to synthesize the data from included studies.

Results

A total of 70 studies were included, and five synthesized findings were developed: (1) Although nurses actively devoted themselves to fighting against COVID-19, considering their professional responsibility and historical previous experience with mankind, they were not invulnerable; (2) There were various difficulties and challenges in caring for patients with COVID-19, including fear related to providing patients with care, shortage of protective equipment and manpower, and negative attitude of family members; (3) Facing difficulties and challenges, nurses could only partly cope by using mixed means to overcome those, including media, learning, gaining skills, responding together, and organizational assistance; (4) To better respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, nurses' needs should be paid attention to. Counseling, training, information, resources, and investment are pivotal; (5) Despite the hardships, nurses became stronger and gained gratitude, positivity, mental peace, and confidence.

Conclusions

This study reveals that the psychological experiences of front-line nurses varied, and they faced a variety of challenges. Although nurses had some coping strategies, they still needed multifaceted support to meet the challenges.

Systematic review registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/, PROSPERO: CRD42021255468.

Application of a Hybrid Multi-Criterion Decision-Making Model for Evaluation and Improvement of Nurses' Job Satisfaction

Background

The global shortage and turnover of nurses is a current challenge. Past studies have shown that nurse job satisfaction may ameliorate nurse shortage. Although there are many studies on the criteria influencing nurses' job satisfaction, few have examined the causal relationships and weight of each criterion from a systematic perspective.

Objective

Identify the key criteria and causal relationships that affect nurses' job satisfaction, and help nurse leaders identify high-weight, high-impact dimensions and contextualize them for improvement.

Methods

The study developed a hybrid multi-criterion decision-making model, which incorporated the McCloskey/Mueller satisfaction 13-item scale (MMSS-13), and the Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory and the Importance-Performance Analysis methods the model was used to analyze key factors of nurse satisfaction and their interrelationships based on the experience of 15 clinical nurse specialists.

Results

In MMSS-13's dimension level, “satisfaction with work conditions and supervisor support” (C₅) had the highest impact, and “satisfaction with salary and benefits” (C₁) had the highest weight. In criteria level, “salary” (C₁₁), “flexibility in scheduling time off” (C₂₄), “maternity leave time” (C₃₁), “opportunities for social contact after work” (C₄₁), and “your head nurse or facility manager” (C₅₁) had high influence under their corresponding dimensions. The “benefits package” (C₁₃) was the top criterion with the highest impact on MMSS-13.

Conclusions

This study assessed nurses' job satisfaction from a multidimensional perspective and revealed the causal relationships between the dimensions. It refined the assessment of nurse job satisfaction to help nurse leaders better assess nurse job satisfaction and make strategic improvements. The study found that compensation and benefits had the highest weight in nurses' job satisfaction. Meanwhile, support for family responsibilities and working conditions, and support from supervisors were the cause dimensions of job satisfaction. Among the more detailed criteria, salary, benefits package, maternity leave time, and leadership had a greater impact on nurses' job satisfaction. Nurse leaders should start with these dimensions to achieve efficient improvement of nurses' job satisfaction.

Characteristics of early-career nurse researchers negatively impacted during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to identify typical patterns and determinants of early-career nurse researchers (ECNRs: age ≤45 years) who reported that their research activities were negatively impacted during the COVID-19 pandemic, using a data mining methodology. To gain a deeper understanding of the characteristics of these ECNRs, we compared them with the characteristics of senior nurse researchers (SNRs: age ≥46 years).

DESIGN

A cross-sectional study.

PARTICIPANTS

1532 nurse researchers.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

We conducted an anonymous online questionnaire survey that assessed individual and professional attributes of nurse researchers and their experiences from April to June 2020. We analysed the association between the impact on research activities and the individual and professional attributes using cross-tabulation, and employed the chi-square automatic interaction detection technique to perform population segmentation.

RESULTS

We found that difficulties in research management, an increased burden of student education and organisational management, and organisational management position were relatively important factors for determining the negative impact of COVID-19 on the research activities of ECNRs (p<0.05). For both ECNRs and SNRs, the most relevant determinant of disrupted research activities was 'difficulties in research management' (χ²=34.7 and 126.5, respectively, p<0.001 for both). However, only ECNRs yielded 'position in organisational management' and was extracted only for ECNRs (χ²=7.0, p=0.008).

CONCLUSIONS

Difficulties in research management and an increased burden of student education and organisational management had an unfavourable impact on the research activities of ECNRs. To ensure quality of nursing care and nursing science development during and after the COVID-19 era, it is important to support ECNRs in their nursing research activities and career development. Our findings could contribute to the prioritisation of interventions and policymaking for ECNRs who are particularly at risk of being negatively affected by the pandemic.

Nursing interventions that humanise care for patients affected by COVID-19 in isolation units: An integrative review

Background

During the global pandemic, the increasing number of hospitalised patients affected by COVID-19 led to a shortage of nurses. This situation can cause nurses to focus their care on managing the acute aspects of the disease, neglecting interventions that can humanise their practices and improve quality of care. This review aims to identify nurses' interventions that can humanise care for patients affected by COVID-19 in isolation units.

Methods

Whittemore and Knafl's integrative review methodology was used to structure and conduct the review. The literature search was conducted using CINAHL, MEDLINE, Nursing & Allied Health, MedicLatina, Sciencedirect, LILACS, and PubMed databases. Researchers performed the final search in January 2021.

Results

A total of seven articles were included in this review. Interventions by nursing staff that may humanise care for patients affected by COVID-19 in isolation units fall within two themes: “expressive dimension interventions”, related to the establishment of communication with patients and their families, providing psychological comfort, shared decision-making and patient education; and “instrumental dimension interventions”, associated with providing patients physical comfort, and symptom management.

Conclusion

This review provides insight into both “expressive dimension” and “instrumental dimension” of nursing interventions that may humanise care to patients affected by COVID-19 in isolation units. This knowledge will allow nurses to improve their care practices, providing more holistic, humanised care for these patients.

A Glance at the Barriers and Enablers of the Nursing Role in Pandemics: An Integrative Review

Objective: to analyze the enablers and barriers to nurses’ professional role fulfillment during pandemics and disasters. Materials and methods: this was an integrative review based on the SALSA analytical method, carried out in eight databases, namely: Medline, Proquest, CINAHL, Web of Science, BVS, SpringerLink, Scopus, and Pubmed. The descriptors used were the following: ‘nurse’s role’ AND ‘pandemic’ AND ‘patient’ AND ‘coronavirus infection’, in English, Spanish and Portuguese. Filters along with inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied to the 11,031 articles found, after which the final sample consisted of a total of 32 articles. Results: considering the objectives set and the results obtained, it is noted that all actions focused on three main instances, namely: a) training and updating for role performance; b) predictors, enablers, and barriers for exercising the role in the face of a pandemic; and c) evidence of the role in the face of pandemics. Conclusion: this study allowed understanding both the barriers and the enablers that allow the fulfillment of nurses’ professional role in the face of pandemics or catastrophes. It also clarified that emerging infectious diseases must be addressed in an immediate, collaborative, and multidisciplinary way. Nurses’ experience, leadership, and professional training are key attributes that these professionals possess to enable their role to be more proactive during an emergency situation.

Finding the positives from the COVID-19 pandemic: factors associated with posttraumatic growth among nurses in Hong Kong

BACKGROUND

Due to active involvement with patients for COVID-19 treatments, nurses are susceptible to adverse psychological outcomes amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the distress, studies have suggested that nurses are able to experience positive changes (i.e. posttraumatic growth; PTG) during the pandemic. Research on other populations has also indicated that COVID-19-specific worries and work-related coping resources are associated with people's positive changes during the pandemic.

OBJECTIVE

This study examined how socio-demographic characteristics, COVID-19-related worries, and work-related variables (satisfaction with work and workplace pandemic guidelines) were associated with PTG among nurses in Hong Kong.

METHODS

Nurses (N = 1510) working in hospitals and community settings were recruited through nursing associations in Hong Kong between 8 August 2020 and 22 September 2020. They were invited to complete a cross-sectional survey measuring their sociodemographic characteristics, COVID-19 worries, and satisfaction with work and workplace pandemic-control measures.

RESULTS

Results from hierarchical regressions found that those working non-full-time (β = -0.06), affiliating with a religion (β = 0.24), having higher COVID-19-related worries and psychological distress (βs ranging from 0.12-0.15), and having higher work satisfaction (β = 0.14) were associated with higher PTG (ps < .05). Moreover, a significant interaction between psychological distress and satisfaction with workplace pandemic control guidelines emerged in explaining PTG (β = 0.08, p < .05), such that guideline satisfaction was only associated with higher PTG among those with higher distress (β = 0.09, p = .03), but not those with lower distress (β = -0.05, p > .05).

CONCLUSIONS

Nurses in Hong Kong did report positive changes amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Future studies could focus on the contributing factors of PTG to design for effective strategies to enhance resources for nurses to promote positive psychosocial outcomes.