Fear of COVID‐19, psychological distress, work satisfaction and turnover intention among frontline nurses

Abstract

Aim To examine the relative influence of fear of COVID‐19 on nurses’ psychological distress, work satisfaction and intent to leave their organisation and the profession. Background The emergence of COVID‐19 has significantly impacted the psychological and mental well‐being of frontline healthcare workers, including nurses. To date, no studies have been conducted examining how this fear of COVID‐19 contributes to health, well‐being and work outcomes in frontline nurses. Methods This is a cross‐sectional research design involving 261 frontline nurses in the Philippines. Five standardised scales were used for data collection. Results Overall, the composite score of the fear of COVID‐19 scale was 19.92. Job role and attendance of COVID‐19‐related training predicted fear of COVID‐19. An increased level of fear of COVID‐19 was associated with decreased job satisfaction, increased psychological distress, and increased organisational and professional turnover intentions. Conclusions Frontline nurses who reported not having attended COVID‐19‐related training and those who held part‐time job roles reported increased fears of COVID‐19. Addressing the fear of COVID‐19 may result in improved job outcomes in frontline nurses, such as increased job satisfaction, decreased stress levels and lower intent to leave the organisation and the profession. Implications for Nursing Management Organisational measures are vital to support the mental health of nurses and address their fear of COVID‐19 through peer and social support, psychological and mental support services (e.g., counselling or psychotherapy), provision of training related to COVID‐19, and accurate and regular information updates.

South Korean Nurses’ Experiences with Patient Care at a COVID-19-Designated Hospital: Growth after the Frontline Battle against an Infectious Disease Pandemic

“…Research has indicated that due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, people are experiencing high levels of stress, depression, and anxiety, as well as levels of post-traumatic stress that are above the cut-off for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) [5][6][7]. Healthcare professionals who come in close contact with COVID-19 patients are deeply affected by this novel virus and experience mental health challenges, including stress, depression, anxiety, PTSD, and burnout [8][9][10][11][12][13], which can have deleterious effects on their quality of life [11] and increase their turnover intention [14]. In addition, their concentration, comprehension, and decision-making ability can be affected by these psychological difficulties, which could, in turn, affect infectious disease management [15].…”

Perceptions and experiences of nurses about their performance in the COVID-19 pandemic

“…Emerge neste período o desconhecimento de uma nova doença, a preocupação de contraí-la e transmitir à família (2,7,12) . Sinais de alerta como ansiedade, angústia e medo descritos pelos participantes são frequentes perante situações de potencial perigo, originando potencial perturbação no bem-estar do enfermeiro, mas, permitindo lidar com as novas situações (13)(14)(15)(16)(17) . Também o estresse, realidade do exercício profissional, neste período, assumiu maior intensidade.…”

“…Ambiente e organização do trabalho são fundamentais para a qualidade de vida no trabalho e a segurança dos pacientes, sendo que os processos de mudança determinam o fomento de recursos individuais e organizacionais para um processo adaptativo (17) . As rápidas alterações organizacionais, a mobilidade de enfermeiros para serviços COVID-19, a alteração dos turnos de trabalho e a indisponibilidade para pausas devido ao uso dos equipamentos de proteção individual já descritos na literatura foram também identificados no discurso dos participantes.…”

“…Sendo uma situação nova, a pandemia acarretou a estes enfermeiros desafios associados ao trabalho e à busca de conhecimento. Também referenciado em diferentes pesquisas nas quais o investimento, à procura de informação e novas evidências científicas, foi identificado como um período desafiador (5,17) . Destacou-se, assim, o envolvimento positivo dos enfermeiros, intensificando uma flexibilidade e adaptabilidade perante novas exigências, fato interessante, dada a amplitude de idade dos participantes e o seu vínculo definitivo, revelando, dessa forma, verdadeiro compromisso profissional.…”

“…Evidenciou-se, ainda, visando dar resposta a esta nova realidade, a informação necessária para lidar com novas exigências, minimizando, destarte, a ambiguidade e a incerteza, normas e orientações que eram disponibilizadas aos enfermeiros, quase que diariamente, por organizações nacionais e internacionais, tal como aponta a literatura, podendo a informação assumir um papel essencial, promovendo a segurança e bem-estar do enfermeiro e segurança do paciente (15,(17)(18) .…”