Health Experiences of Nurses during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Mixed Methods Study.

ABSTRACT: This study characterizes the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental and physical health of nurses. Qualitative data (collected using semi-structured interviews) were integrated with quantitative data (collected concurrently using the SF-12 Health Survey). Nurses (N = 30) compared their health prior to and during the first pandemic wave (March-May 2020). Interviews were analyzed thematically; descriptive statistics and t-tests compared pre-pandemic to current SF-12 scores. Qualitative findings demonstrated an impact on nurses' mental health expressed as isolation, loss, intense emotions, and feelings of being expendable. Impact on nurses' physical health included exhaustion, personal protective equipment skin breakdown, limited breaks from work, and virus exposure. Quan

SUBMITTER: Harris ML 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9834626 | biostudies-literature | 2023 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature