Psychological Behavior, Work Stress, and Social Support of Frontline Nurses During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Using a cluster sampling method, 248 nurses from frontline departments of three large general hospitals in Sichuan Province, China, were selected as participants in the current study. Risk perception and coping methods during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, negative emotions and psychological workload, and awareness of social support among nurses were studied. Negative emotions among nurses increased significantly, with fear being the most common (73.4%, n = 182). Psychological workload of nurses in close contact with patients with COVID-19 was higher than that of nurses in other positions (p < 0.05). Family was the major source of social support. Social support was negatively associated with depression (-0.206, p < 0.05), obsessive-compulsiveness/anxiety (-0.185, p < 0.05), and hypochondriasis (-0.234, p < 0.05). Psychological workload of nurses was positively correlated with depression (0.251, p < 0.05), neurasthenia (0.242, p < 0.05), and obsessive-compulsiveness/anxiety (0.231, p < 0.05). Nursing staff in frontline departments encountered psychological workload burdens to varying degrees during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, it is important to implement and strengthen psychological counseling for nurses in close contact positions, and to seek family and social support for nurses.

Automated summary

This study investigated risk perception, coping methods, negative emotions, psychological workload, and awareness of social support among nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic in three large general hospitals in Sichuan Province, China. The findings showed that nurses experienced increased negative emotions, with fear being the most common. The psychological workload of nurses in close contact positions with COVID-19 patients was higher than that of nurses in other positions. Family was the major source of social support for nurses.