“It was simply disturbing“ - evaluation of the stress factors of nursing staff on special COVID-19 wards during the pandemic: a qualitative study
Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic has posed enormous challenges for healthcare systems worldwide. The strain on nursing staff working in special COVID-19 wards during the pandemic increased dramatically. To support nursing staff more effectively in similar situations in the future, it is imp...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2025-02-01
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| Series: | BMC Nursing |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-025-02773-y |
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| author | Lea Kiefer Christian Volberg Jan Adriaan Graw Stefan Bösner |
| author_facet | Lea Kiefer Christian Volberg Jan Adriaan Graw Stefan Bösner |
| author_sort | Lea Kiefer |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic has posed enormous challenges for healthcare systems worldwide. The strain on nursing staff working in special COVID-19 wards during the pandemic increased dramatically. To support nursing staff more effectively in similar situations in the future, it is important to identify specific stress factors to design effective support measures. Objective To collect the experiences and lessons learned from nursing staff who have been affected by COVID-19 pandemic on a special COVID-19 ward that were perceived as stressful. The findings should contribute to the development of specific support measures for healthcare professionals. Design Qualitative interview study. Setting We interviewed 14 members of nursing staff who worked on COVID-19 wards at two University Hospitals about their working experiences during the pandemic. Results We were able to identify 10 key stress factors. These included an increased workload, communication deficits, a difficult personnel situation, subjective pressure, the establishment of a new ward, a shortage of material resources, inadequate hygiene conditions, a lack of opportunities to cope with the situation, the absence of relatives and decision making. Conclusion The identification of various stress factors highlights the urgent need for comprehensive support measures. These measures could include concepts for dealing with physical and psychosocial stress, the provision of resources and sufficient personnel support. It remains crucial to proactively take preventive and supportive measures to reduce the burden and moral distress of nursing staff and protect their health in the long term. Despite the pandemic, the implications of our findings remain relevant for the future. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-f73e232023614b278a436ab4d5c7d724 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1472-6955 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Nursing |
| spelling | doaj-art-f73e232023614b278a436ab4d5c7d7242025-02-09T12:27:31ZengBMCBMC Nursing1472-69552025-02-0124111310.1186/s12912-025-02773-y“It was simply disturbing“ - evaluation of the stress factors of nursing staff on special COVID-19 wards during the pandemic: a qualitative studyLea Kiefer0Christian Volberg1Jan Adriaan Graw2Stefan Bösner3Department of General Practice and Family Medicine, Philipps-University MarburgDepartment of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Research Group Medical Ethics, Philipps University of MarburgDepartment of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Ulm University HospitalDepartment of General Practice and Family Medicine, Philipps-University MarburgAbstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic has posed enormous challenges for healthcare systems worldwide. The strain on nursing staff working in special COVID-19 wards during the pandemic increased dramatically. To support nursing staff more effectively in similar situations in the future, it is important to identify specific stress factors to design effective support measures. Objective To collect the experiences and lessons learned from nursing staff who have been affected by COVID-19 pandemic on a special COVID-19 ward that were perceived as stressful. The findings should contribute to the development of specific support measures for healthcare professionals. Design Qualitative interview study. Setting We interviewed 14 members of nursing staff who worked on COVID-19 wards at two University Hospitals about their working experiences during the pandemic. Results We were able to identify 10 key stress factors. These included an increased workload, communication deficits, a difficult personnel situation, subjective pressure, the establishment of a new ward, a shortage of material resources, inadequate hygiene conditions, a lack of opportunities to cope with the situation, the absence of relatives and decision making. Conclusion The identification of various stress factors highlights the urgent need for comprehensive support measures. These measures could include concepts for dealing with physical and psychosocial stress, the provision of resources and sufficient personnel support. It remains crucial to proactively take preventive and supportive measures to reduce the burden and moral distress of nursing staff and protect their health in the long term. Despite the pandemic, the implications of our findings remain relevant for the future.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-025-02773-yCOVID-19Nursing staffWorkloadStress factorsQualitative researchMoral distress |
| spellingShingle | Lea Kiefer Christian Volberg Jan Adriaan Graw Stefan Bösner “It was simply disturbing“ - evaluation of the stress factors of nursing staff on special COVID-19 wards during the pandemic: a qualitative study BMC Nursing COVID-19 Nursing staff Workload Stress factors Qualitative research Moral distress |
| title | “It was simply disturbing“ - evaluation of the stress factors of nursing staff on special COVID-19 wards during the pandemic: a qualitative study |
| title_full | “It was simply disturbing“ - evaluation of the stress factors of nursing staff on special COVID-19 wards during the pandemic: a qualitative study |
| title_fullStr | “It was simply disturbing“ - evaluation of the stress factors of nursing staff on special COVID-19 wards during the pandemic: a qualitative study |
| title_full_unstemmed | “It was simply disturbing“ - evaluation of the stress factors of nursing staff on special COVID-19 wards during the pandemic: a qualitative study |
| title_short | “It was simply disturbing“ - evaluation of the stress factors of nursing staff on special COVID-19 wards during the pandemic: a qualitative study |
| title_sort | it was simply disturbing evaluation of the stress factors of nursing staff on special covid 19 wards during the pandemic a qualitative study |
| topic | COVID-19 Nursing staff Workload Stress factors Qualitative research Moral distress |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-025-02773-y |
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