Nurses' coping strategies caring for patients during severe viral pandemics: A mixed methods systematic review

Temeng, Eunice, Hewitt, Rachael, Pattinson, Rachael ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3145-3710, Sydor, Anna, Whybrow, Dean ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9066-6196, Watts, Tessa ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1201-5192 and Bundy, Chris ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5981-3984 2024. Nurses' coping strategies caring for patients during severe viral pandemics: A mixed methods systematic review. Journal of Clinical Nursing. 33 (1) , pp. 242-254. 10.1111/jocn.16711

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Abstract

Background Nurses play an essential role in responding to severe viral disease which bring considerable challenges to their personal and professional well-being. This subsequently can affect the delivery of care and healthcare systems' organisational capacity to respond. Understanding nurses' experiences of these challenges will help inform healthcare policies. Aim To explore the experiences and coping strategies of nurses caring for patients during severe viral disease pandemics. Design A mixed-methods systematic review informed by the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology. Methods A mixed-methods systematic review. Five electronic databases Medline, CINAHL, PsychInfo, ASSIA and Scopus were searched on 4th April 2021. Results were reported in accordance with PRISMA. The findings were analysed and reported in the context of the Self-Regulatory Common-Sense Model. Results In total, 71 peer-review primary research articles describing nurses' experiences of caring for patients during SARS, MERS, Swine flu H1N1, Avian influenza or SARS-CoV-2 / COVID-19 published in English from 2003 to 2021 were included. We found links between nurses' perception of the health threats, their emotional reactions, and coping strategies. Perceived health threats were influenced by organisational factors including frequent changes in clinical guidelines and workplace protocols, onerous workloads and working hours, unavailability of PPE, and lack of knowledge and training in pandemic management. These impacted nurses' physical, psychological and social well-being. Nurses also reported helpful and unhelpful coping strategies to manage the health threats. Conclusions It is vital for stakeholders, policymakers, government and healthcare institutions to recognise and monitor the wider impact on healthcare workers from health emergencies. In addition, support to develop and implement effective systems and individual mechanisms to offset the anticipated impact pre and post pandemics/epidemics is needed. Our findings can inform those strategies for similar future health emergencies.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Healthcare Sciences
Publisher:	WileyBlackwell
ISSN:	0962-1067
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	28 March 2023
Date of Acceptance:	24 March 2023
Last Modified:	20 Feb 2024 14:58
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/158013

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