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

Abstract

Purpose 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. Method 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. Results 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). Conclusions 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.

Keywords

• nurses
• sense of coherence
• covid-19
• occupational health nursing
• qualitative research