Aims and objectives To describe the levels of insomnia, fatigue and intershift recovery, and psychological well‐being (burnout, post‐traumatic stress and psychological distress), and to examine differences in these measures based on work‐related characteristics among nursing staff during COVID‐19 pandemic in the United States. Background The COVID‐19 pandemic has created a major physical and psychological burden on nursing staff in the United States and worldwide. A better understanding of these conditions will lead to tailored support and resources for nursing staff during and after the pandemic. Design Cross‐sectional study. Methods Hospital nurses and nursing assistants ( N = 587) were recruited online between May–June 2020. The survey included measures on insomnia (Insomnia Severity Index) fatigue and intershift recovery (Occupational Fatigue and Exhaustion Recovery‐15), burnout (Maslach Burnout Inventory‐Human Services Survey), post‐traumatic stress (Short Post‐Traumatic Stress Disorder Rating Interview) and psychological distress (Patient Health Questionnaire‐4), and questions on work and demographics. The STROBE checklist was followed for reporting. Results The sample had subthreshold insomnia, moderate‐to‐high chronic fatigue, high acute fatigue and low‐to‐moderate intershift recovery. The sample experienced increased emotional exhaustion and depersonalisation, increased personal accomplishment, moderate psychological distress and high post‐traumatic stress. Nurses who cared for COVID‐19 patients had significantly scored worse on almost all measures than their co‐workers. Certain factors such as working hours per week and the frequency of 30‐min breaks were significant. Conclusion Nursing staff experienced poor sleep, fatigue and multiple psychological problems during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Moreover, staff who were involved in the care of COVID‐19 patients, worked more than 40 h per week and skipped 30‐min breaks showed generally worse self‐reported outcomes. Relevance to clinical practice Nursing administration is recommended to monitor for fatigue and distress on nursing units, re‐visit current scheduling practices, reinforce rest breaks and provide access to mental health and sleep wellness resources with additional support for their front‐line nursing groups.
Hospital nurses are expected to maintain optimal work performance; yet, fatigue can threaten safe practice and result in unfavorable patient outcomes. This descriptive cross-sectional study explored the association between fatigue, work schedules, and perceived work performance among nurses. The study sample included 77 bedside nurses who were mostly female, single, and between 20 and 29 years of age. The majority worked 8-hour shifts and overtime. Nurses who worked during off days reported significantly higher chronic fatigue compared with those nurses who took time off. Nurses who reported feeling refreshed after sleep had significantly less chronic and acute fatigue and more intershift recovery. Nurses with acute and chronic fatigue perceived poorer physical performance. Also, nurses who reported chronic fatigue perceived they were less alert and less able to concentrate when providing patient care. Less effective communication was also associated with acute and chronic fatigue. In conclusion, fatigue has safety implications for nurses' practice that should be monitored by nursing management.
The translated Lebanese Arabic version of the EORTC QLQ-C30 is a reliable and valid instrument that can be used to assess the quality of life of Lebanese cancer patients.
Background Type II (customer-on-worker) workplace violence (WPV) against nurses and its underreporting are ongoing safety and health challenges in health care. The COVID-19 pandemic has strained patients and nurses and, in turn, may have increased WPV. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to describe and compare a sample of nurses’ reported prevalence of Type II WPV and their reporting of these events during the pandemic. Methods Data from an online survey of registered nurses ( N = 373) working in hospitals were included. Prevalence was calculated for physical violence and verbal abuse, and their reporting of these events, including the experience of violence between nurses who did and did not care for patients with COVID-19. Findings Overall, 44.4% and 67.8% of the nurses reported experiencing physical violence and verbal abuse, respectively, between February and May/June 2020. Nurses who provided care for patients with COVID-19 experienced more physical violence (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 2.18, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [1.30, 3.67]) and verbal abuse (aOR = 2.10, 95% CI = [1.22, 3.61]) than nurses who did not care for these patients. One in 10 nurses felt reporting the incident was more difficult during the pandemic. Conclusion/Application to Practice A significant proportion of nurses who cared for patients with COVID-19 experienced more physical violence and verbal abuse, and more difficulty in reporting to management. As the pandemic continues, health care organizations need to recognize that workers may be at an elevated risk for experiencing WPV and may be less likely to report, resulting in an urgent need for prevention efforts on their part.
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