Nurse's identity role during Covid-19

Depicting occupational trauma concepts impacting nurse well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic

PURPOSE

The purpose of this concept delineation was to differentiate similar concepts impacting nurse well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic, including: compassion fatigue, burnout, moral injury, secondary traumatic stress, and second victim.

METHODS

A total of 63 articles were reviewed for concept delineation. Morse's (1995) approach to concept delineation was utilized to analyse the articles.

RESULTS

Concepts were described interchangeably but were found to present themselves in a sequence. A nurse may experience moral injury, leading to a second victim experience, synonymous with secondary traumatic stress, then compassion fatigue and/or burnout that can be acute or chronic in nature. An Occupational Trauma Conceptual Model was created to depict how these concepts interact based on concept delineation findings.

CONCLUSION

Nurses are experiencing long-lasting occupational trauma and future intervention research should centre on optimizing nurse well-being to ensure the sustainability of nursing profession.

The Relationship Between On-Site Clinical Practice, Nursing Professional Value, and Nursing Clinical Self-Efficacy During COVID-19: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background

During COVID-19, nursing students experienced variations in on-site clinical practice, such as a combination of on-site and non-face-to-face clinical practice. Although on-site clinical practice is critical for increasing nurses' clinical self-efficacy and developing professional nursing values, there is a lack of knowledge that reflects the current clinical practice environment.

Aim

To examine the relationship between on-site clinical practice, nursing professional values, and nursing clinical self-efficacy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

This study is a cross-sectional correlational study design. Demographic characteristics, on-site clinical practice, nursing professional values, and nursing clinical self-efficacy were assessed using an online survey from October 3, 2022, to November 6, 2022. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, ANOVA, t-test, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and multiple regression.

Results

Of the 86 participants, 18 (20.9%) were male and 68 (79.1%) were female. The duration of the participants' average participation in on-site clinical practice was 39.67 days (61.04%). Nursing professional values significantly influenced clinical self-efficacy (β=0.379, p<0.001). However, on-site clinical practice was not significantly related to clinical self-efficacy (β=0.051, p=0.611). In terms of nursing clinical self-efficacy, measuring blood glucose had the highest score. On the other hand, establishing and maintaining intravenous catheters had the lowest scores.

Conclusion

Nursing students' professional values were significantly associated with nursing clinical self-efficacy; however, the extent of involvement in on-site clinical practice during the pandemic did not have a significant impact on nursing clinical self-efficacy. Given that this study focused on a single university, it is imperative to replicate this research using diverse samples in the future. In addition, there is a need to establish a range of teaching and learning approaches for clinical practice, including simulation, online learning, and the use of state-of-the-art technology for faculty-student feedback strategies, in anticipation of the need for alternative practices.

Educational and personal burnout and burnout regarding collaborating with fellow university nursing students during COVID-19 in 2020-2021

BACKGROUND

Knowledge is lacking about the effects of COVID-19 on nursing students' burnout symptoms. Burnout can lead to negative feelings and behaviours towards learning and poor mental health.

AIMS

To describe and compare nursing/midwifery students' burnout, explore differences and detect predictors at two time points through COVID-19.

METHODS

Students were offered participation in the spring semesters of 2020 and 2021 (N = 2046), during COVID-19. The response rate was 30-33%. By using reliable and valid instruments, the students' stress and burnout were analysed as well as the students' health and perceived support.

RESULTS

Symptoms of academic burnout were higher among 1st and 2nd year BSc students in 2021. On the contrary, 3rd and 4th year students had higher academic and personal burnout than graduate students as well as than 1st and 2nd year students. Regarding academic burnout, 47% of the variability was explained by educational level, support, stress and the interactional effect of stress and support. Collaborational burnout, predicted by the students' educational level and support, explained 7% of the variability in the outcome. Additionally, educational level, and stress, predicted 52% of the variability in personal burnout.

CONCLUSION

Educators or student counsellors need to facilitate effective learning practices and offer academic support, specifically during 3rd and 4th year to boost helpful coping strategies and handle uncertainty and stressors related to crises such as COVID-19.

Superheroes or Super Spreaders? The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Social Attitudes towards Nurses: A Qualitative Study from Poland

The social perception of the nursing profession in Poland is profoundly affected by social stereotypes that may discourage young people from entering the profession and lead to prejudice towards nurses. During the COVID-19 pandemic, nurses gained visibility, which caused the social image of nurses to likewise grow. In this study, we explore nurses' experiences with respect to how the COVID-19 pandemic influenced the social image of nursing. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with fifteen hospital nurses. Three major themes emerged: (1) social attitudes towards nurses during the pandemic, (2) nurses' perception of the impact of the pandemic on the social image of the nursing profession and (3) the impact of the pandemic on nurses' mental health. Although the pandemic promoted the image of nursing to the general public, nurses were disappointed that in the face of the healthcare crisis and the constant threat, they had to struggle with difficult working conditions and professional, social and economic recognition. This study therefore stresses the duty of policy makers to undertake a systemic approach to improving the organisation of health care and increase nurses' safety by providing them with a safe working environment and prepare them better for the next health crisis.

Compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue in frontline nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic in Wuhan, China

Aim

The aim of this study is to investigate the compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue among Chinese frontline nurses during the COVID‐19 pandemic in Wuhan, China and to explore the related factors.

Background

Frontline nurses undertake a huge nursing workload with a risk of infection, causing great pressure on them and making them face a risk of compassion fatigue during the pandemic.

Methods

A cross‐sectional online survey was conducted from 9 March to 15 March 2020. A total of 1582 nurses caring for critical patients with COVID‐19 participated. Compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue (comprising burnout and secondary traumatic stress) were assessed with the Professional Quality of Life Scale, and resilience was measured with the Chinese 10‐item Connor‐Davidson Resilience Scale.

Results

Moderate levels of compassion satisfaction (36.99 ± 6.71), burnout (24.14 ± 5.33) and secondary traumatic stress (24.53 ± 5.24) were experienced by frontline nurses. Resilience and perceived work pressure were the main predictors.

Conclusions

Frontline nurses demonstrated a moderate level of compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue.

Implications for nursing management

The compassion fatigue of frontline nurses should be considered. Strategies aiming to reduce stress and enhance resilience, such as training about psychological adjustment, developing professional skills and creating a supportive workplace environment, are several options.

The trial is not registered. This study is a cross‐sectional study, and according to China's clinical trial registration standards, such studies are not required to be registered. So the trial is not registered. However, oral consent was obtained from the ethics committee of the hospital before this study was conducted.

Burnout, psychopathology and purpose in life in healthcare workers during COVID-19 pandemic

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a significant increase in the workload of healthcare workers that, together with the risks associated with exposure to this new virus, has affected their mental health.

Objectives

The objective of the current study was to determine the prevalence of psychopathology and burnout syndrome in healthcare workers and the predictive role of purpose in life and moral courage in this relationship.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was carried out in 115 Spanish healthcare workers.

Results

Participants with burnout had higher anxiety (p = 0.001), depression (p < 0.001), post-traumatic stress (p = 0.01) and alcohol consumption (p = 0.03) levels. The different components of burnout (emotional fatigue and despersonalization) were associated with the occurrence of anxiety (OR = 0.31) and depression (OR = 0.26), respectively. A strong purpose in life decreased emotional fatigue (OR = -0.39) depersonalization (OR = -0.23) scores, increased personal accomplishment (OR = 0.52), subsequently reducing burnout levels (OR = -0.45).

Conclusions

Purpose in life was most strongly related to decreased levels of burnout. Furthermore, an association between anxiety, depression and the components of burnout was found.

Baccalaureate nursing students' experiences of how the COVID-19 pandemic influenced learning - a mixed method study

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic mandated the reconstruction of educational programs globally. For nursing students in need of practical learning and training as a part of their curriculum, the pandemic also caused restrictions and alterations in practical placements and limited access to simulation training at campuses. The aim of this study is therefore, to describe and explore how the COVID- 19 pandemic influenced baccalaureate nursing students' experiences of learning and their social life as a student.

METHOD

We used a mixed method study design including quantitative data from one of the universities (University of Agder) from a national Norwegian survey of baccalaureate nursing students and qualitative data from focus-group interviews from the same university. The quantitative survey included 396 baccalaureate nursing students (response rate, 46%). We arranged five focus groups with a total of 23 students (15 females and 8 males). The students took part in one of the focus-group interviews. The quantitative data were analyzed using chi-square test for categorical data and ANOVA tests for continuous data, while the qualitative data were analyzed using Systematic Text Condensation and an editing analysis style.

RESULTS

Most students (70%) were concerned about the quality of the education program. In clinical placement, 83% of students had cared for patients with confirmed COVID-19 or unclear COVID-19 status. The qualitative data revealed three main themes: missing the social dimension of learning; worries and challenges in clinical placement; and experiencing normal instructive days in clinical placement. The general picture emerging from our analysis is the importance of social interactions for learning.

CONCLUSION

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, our findings of students' worries about the quality of the education program and not reaching learning outcomes must be taken into consideration. Social interaction is considered crucial and fundamental for student learning. A follow-up study following baccalaureate completion is necessary to explore the consequences over time of disrupted education.