Nurses' mental health and coping strategies throughout COVID‐19 outbreak: A nationwide qualitative study

Abstract

This qualitative exploratory study explored nurses' mental health and coping strategies working with suspected and confirmed COVID‐19 patients in Brunei Darussalam. Eleven focus group discussions were conducted between October 2020 and January 2021, involving 75 participants. Three themes emerged: ‘COVID‐19 roller‐coaster transitional journey’ explained the different psychological responses of the journey of the nurses from merely hearing about COVID‐19 from far to the invasion of the virus and community outbreak in the country; ‘Mind my mind and heart’ share experiences of the nurses in terms of their mental health and emotional responses; and ‘the psychosocial system’ described the coping mechanisms of the nurses throughout the COVID‐19 pandemic. Nurses' mental health and coping strategies during the COVID‐19 pandemic influenced how they provided care and performed other tasks, which should not be taken for granted. Nurses employed psychosocial coping methods at the different phases of the COVID‐19 pandemic and support from family, friends, the public, and the governmental level. This research is fundamental as a basis for other countries to design psychological interventions during this yet unsettled COVID‐19 pandemic.

“Patient dignity can be ensured by providing adequate health care”: A phenomenological analysis on survival strategies of military nurses

“…Furthermore, employer strategies played a pivotal role in aiding frontline nurses in navigating the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Employers are responsible for adapting the healthcare system, navigating health insurance policies, and structuring employees' health benefits [ 47 ]. Effective employer strategies contribute to improved service delivery and employee satisfaction [ 48 ].…”

Factors Related to Mental Health of Foreign Care Workers in Long-Term Care Facilities in Japan during the COVID-19 Pandemic—A Comparative Study

“…Research on the mental health status of care workers has largely focused on the associations between workplace safety [ 81 ] and work-related changes by COVID-19 [ 82 ]. Many scholars found that the worst mental health among care workers was associated with caring for COVID-19-infected patients [ 83 , 84 ] and the fear of infection [ 85 ]. A Japanese longitudinal study also revealed that the effects of COVID-19 may have substantially reduced their income, thereby threatening their mental health [ 86 ].…”

Lessons learned during the health crisis caused by COVID-19 in the work of the nursing professional: A systematic review

“…Lessons learned from the health crisis in nursing professionals' work It is essential that nursing education and curricula include continuous training programs related to crisis management for decision-making (Aliabadi et al, 2021;Bucher et al, 2021), effective training that includes evidence-based practice and clinical skills (Calkins et al, 2023). Psychological interventions are recommended to address the mental health issues still unresolved by nurses and help them overcome the impact of the pandemic (Maideen et al, 2022). Providing suitable working conditions, a safe working environment, continuous training for competency development, recognition for their work, and job satisfaction to prevent the talent drain due to high staff turnover in healthcare institutions (Lin et al, 2022) is also suggested.…”