Introduction: Health care workers, especially nurses, may be exposed to increased psychological stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. Objective: To determine how the increased demands on health care delivery associated with the coronavirus crisis affect the level of psychological stress and quality of life of nurses in different workplaces. Methods: A cross-sectional exploratory study of mental health in 504 nurses. The standardized SF-36 questionnaire and Meister's questionnaire for neuropsychological strain were used. Results: The overload and monotony scales are significantly (p < 0.05) and negatively (r < 0) correlated with quality of life in each of the domains. The total load is significantly (p < 0.05) and negatively (r < 0) correlated with quality of life in each of the domains. The age of respondents is significantly (p < 0.05) and positively (r < 0) correlated with quality of life in the domains of Vitality, Mental Health, and Mental Component Summary, and negatively (r > 0) correlated with quality of life in the domains of Physical Functioning, Bodily Pain, General Health, and Physical Component Summary. Men handled the stress significantly better. Stress levels were significantly higher in the group of respondents working in intensive care units and in primary care.Conclusions: The increased demands on health care delivery associated with the coronavirus crisis had a negative impact on the level of psychological load and the quality of life of nurses. Worse results were found in nurses working in intensive care units and in primary care.

The major focus of the study was the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare workers’ mental health. Nurses are the workers who were exposed to pandemic–related stress, being the most affected. The present cross-sectional study was focused on finding out the differences of the level of work-related stress and quality of life in nurses of the three Central European states, specifically the Czech Republic, the Slovak Republic, and Poland. A structured anonymous online questionnaire was created, and then the link was distributed to the target population through executives. Data analysis was performed by using the R programme–version 4.1.3. The study found that nurses from the Czech Republic achieved lower stress levels and had a higher quality of life than nurses from Poland and Slovakia.