Psychological distress in emergency department nurses at women's and children's hospitals during the COVID-19 epidemic: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 epidemic has caused a huge amount of occupational stress among emergency department (ED) nurses. They are not only at high risk of infection, but they are also more likely to experience mental health problems. This study aimed to investigate the factors associated with psychological distress and resilience among ED nurses. Material/Methods: This was a multi-center, cross-sectional study using cluster sampling. The survey utilizing a general information questionnaire, Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10), and 10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10) was conducted with 374 ED nurses working in 3 women's and children's hospitals in Chengdu, Sichuan, China between November 20 and November 27, 2021. Descriptive analysis, single-factor analysis, and correlation analysis were performed on data. Results: The nurses' mean score for the K10 was 20.65±5.99. Three hundred (80.2%) nurses had K10 scores of 16 or above. The nurses' mean score for the CD-RISC-10 was 27.73±6.520. Work hours and work area were the factors associated with psychological distress (F=11.858, P<0.05; F=3.467, P<0.05). Age and work hours were the factors associated with resilience (F=3.231, P<0.05; t=11.937, P<0.05). The K10 score was negatively correlated with the CD-RISC-10 score (P<0.01, r=-0.453). Conclusions: Of the 374 nurses, 80.2% had psychological distress. Nurse managers should consider the factors associated with psychological distress and resilience and take positive measures to relieve the nurses' psychological distress.