"The leadership shown by nurses gave me such a boost": health resources used by nurses who experienced COVID-19 pandemic stressors

To thoroughly describe 1) the stressors experienced by nurses during the first waves of the COVID-19 pandemic, 2) the extent to which experiencing these stressors affected nurses' psychological and physical health and 3) the health resources nurses used to protect and maintain their psychologic...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of qualitative studies on health and well-being 2024-12, Vol.19 (1), p.2432687
Main Authors: Oulevey Bachmann, Annie, Cohen, Christine, Abt, Maryline, Gilles, Ingrid, Delmas, Philippe, Ortoleva Bucher, Claudia
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Attrition
COVID-19
Empirical Studies
Fatigue
Female
Focus Groups
Health Resources
Health status
Hospitalized
Humans
Independent living
Leadership
Male
Mental health
Middle Aged
Nurses
Nurses - psychology
Nursing Staff, Hospital - psychology
occupational health nursing
Occupational Stress
Pandemics
Qualitative Research
SARS-CoV-2
sense of coherence
Stress, Psychological
Switzerland
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Summary:To thoroughly describe 1) the stressors experienced by nurses during the first waves of the COVID-19 pandemic, 2) the extent to which experiencing these stressors affected nurses' psychological and physical health and 3) the health resources nurses used to protect and maintain their psychological and physical health during this period. We used a theory-driven descriptive qualitative design and conducted seven focus groups of 2-5 nurses (total = 23 nurses) distinguished by their degree of contact with COVID-19 patients hospitalized in Switzerland. A thematic analysis identified three main themes and their respective sub-themes: 1) Lived experiences and stressors (Living in a strange world; Hard work alone behind closed doors; Contaminating or being contaminated; Living at home behind closed doors; A war of attrition after the first wave); 2) Health (Everything is fine; Multiple traumas; Stress; Long-term exhaustion); 3) Resources (Societal and institutional resources; Direct relational resources; Resources specific to individuals). All the nurses interviewed had been ceaselessly and intensely exposed to stressors in their professional and private lives. However, the repercussions of these stressors on their mental or physical health differed. Indeed, some nurses reported having used resources to protect and maintain their health.
ISSN:1748-2631
1748-2623
1748-2631
DOI:10.1080/17482631.2024.2432687