Nurses' Experience After First Wave of COVID-19: Implications for a Trauma-Informed Workforce

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Public Health
• Psychology

Background:

• COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted nurses globally, increasing burnout and compassion fatigue.
• Limited literature exists on nurse deployment experiences during the pandemic.
• This study examines nurses' experiences and professional quality of life after initial pandemic phase and redeployment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe nurses' lived experiences during and after COVID-19 redeployment.
• To assess the professional quality of life among nurses post-deployment.
• To identify challenges and facilitators for nurse well-being.

Main Methods:

• Mixed methods design utilizing the Professional Quality of Life Survey and "campfires" (debrief sessions).
• Descriptive statistics for survey data and inductive thematic analysis for qualitative data.
• Involved 278 nurses (clinical nurses and nurse leaders) in 2020.

Main Results:

• Majority reported compassion satisfaction despite moderate burnout and secondary traumatic stress.
• Qualitative themes revealed shared concerns about safety, lack of choices, and transparency.
• Nurse leaders and staff nurses faced unique challenges.

Conclusions:

• Post-deployment adverse psychological health highlights the need for a trauma-informed leadership approach.
• Strategies include enhancing staff autonomy, safety, transparency, and collaboration.
• A trauma-informed approach can foster wellness, resilience, and mitigate burnout.