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Nurse Reports of Stressful Situations during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Qualitative Analysis of Survey Responses

Author

Listed:
  • Judith E. Arnetz

    (Department of Family Medicine, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA)

  • Courtney M. Goetz

    (Department of Family Medicine, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA)

  • Bengt B. Arnetz

    (Department of Family Medicine, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA)

  • Eamonn Arble

    (Department of Psychology, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI 48197, USA)

Abstract

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has exposed nurses to conditions that threaten their health, well-being, and ability to work. It is therefore critical to study nurses’ experiences and well-being during the current crisis in order to identify risk groups for ill health and potential sources of organizational intervention. The aim of this study was to explore perceptions of the most salient sources of stress in the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic in a sample of U.S. nurses. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among a sample of 695 U.S. nurses in May 2020. Content analysis was conducted on nurses’ responses (n = 455) to an open-ended question on the most stressful situations they had experienced during the pandemic. Six distinct themes emerged from the analysis: exposure/infection-self; illness/death-others; workplace; personal protective equipment/supplies; unknowns; opinions/politics. Two sub-themes concerned restrictions associated with the pandemic and feelings of inadequacy/helplessness regarding patients and their treatment. More than half of all comments concerned stress related to problems in workplace response to the pandemic. Healthcare institutions should provide opportunities for nurses to discuss the stress they are experiencing, support one another, and make suggestions for workplace adaptations during this pandemic.

Suggested Citation

  • Judith E. Arnetz & Courtney M. Goetz & Bengt B. Arnetz & Eamonn Arble, 2020. "Nurse Reports of Stressful Situations during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Qualitative Analysis of Survey Responses," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(21), pages 1-12, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:21:p:8126-:d:439564
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Debra Jackson & Caroline Bradbury‐Jones & Diana Baptiste & Leslie Gelling & Karen Morin & Stephen Neville & Graeme D. Smith, 2020. "Life in the pandemic: Some reflections on nursing in the context of COVID‐19," Journal of Clinical Nursing, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 29(13-14), pages 2041-2043, July.
    2. Jill Maben 1,2,3,✉ & Jackie Bridges, 2020. "Covid‐19: Supporting nurses' psychological and mental health," Journal of Clinical Nursing, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 29(15-16), pages 2742-2750, August.
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    8. Judith E. Arnetz & Eamonn Arble & Sukhesh Sudan & Bengt B. Arnetz, 2021. "Workplace Cognitive Failure among Nurses during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(19), pages 1-15, October.
    9. Saqib Ali & Saman Tauqir & Faraz Ahmed Farooqi & Badr Al-Jandan & Hawra Al-Janobi & Sami Alshehry & Adel Ibrahim Abdelhady & Imran Farooq, 2021. "Psychological Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Students, Assistants, and Faculty of a Dental Institute of Saudi Arabia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(24), pages 1-11, December.
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    11. Mi-Aie Lee & So-Hee Lim, 2023. "Effects of External Employment Opportunities, Nursing Professionalism, and Nursing Work Environments on Korean Hospital Nurses’ Intent to Stay or Leave," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(5), pages 1-12, February.
    12. Jiela Marie H. Taneza & Roel Jr. D. Apas, 2023. "Ordeals in Combating COVID-19 Pandemic and Acceptability of COVID-19 Vaccine Among Frontliners in Digos City, Davao del Sur," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 7(5), pages 1139-1164, May.
    13. Ali Reza Yusefi & Mehrdad Sharifi & Narjes sadat Nasabi & Esmat Rezabeigi Davarani & Peivand Bastani, 2022. "Health human resources challenges during COVID-19 pandemic; evidence of a qualitative study in a developing country," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 17(1), pages 1-20, January.
    14. Young-Taek Park & JeongYun Park & Ji Soo Jeon & Young Jae Kim & Kwang Gi Kim, 2021. "Changes in Nurse Staffing Grades of Korean Hospitals during COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(11), pages 1-11, May.
    15. Eamonn Arble & Dana Manning & Bengt B. Arnetz & Judith E. Arnetz, 2023. "Increased Substance Use among Nurses during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-13, February.
    16. Young-Mi Jung & Na-Young Kim, 2022. "Factors Affecting Preventive Health Behaviors against COVID-19 in Nursing Students: A Cross-Sectional Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(9), pages 1-13, May.
    17. Karen Willis & Paulina Ezer & Sophie Lewis & Marie Bismark & Natasha Smallwood, 2021. "“Covid Just Amplified the Cracks of the System”: Working as a Frontline Health Worker during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(19), pages 1-15, September.
    18. Amalia De Leo & Eloisa Cianci & Paolo Mastore & Caterina Gozzoli, 2021. "Protective and Risk Factors of Italian Healthcare Professionals during the COVID-19 Pandemic Outbreak: A Qualitative Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(2), pages 1-17, January.

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