Work-related stress and quality of life in nurses during the Covid-19 pandemic

Work-related stress is the physical and emotional manifestation triggered by an imbalance in coping with perceived demands. One of the workers most affected by work-related stress is the nursing staff, a situation that was exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic and could affect their quality of life.

To evaluate the connection between quality of life and work-related stress in nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Analytical, cross-sectional study, with a quantitative approach. Descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression analysis were used for the present study.

a negative correlation was obtained between quality of life and stress level (r = -0.438, p < 0.01), and being a professional nurse was related to higher stress levels. On the other hand, being 31 years or older and having more than 12 months of work experience were associated with a higher quality of life score, while being female, single, separated, or widowed and having higher acute stress scores indicated a significantly worse quality of life.

Acute stress negatively affects the quality of life of nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic and this differs significantly according to age, sex, marital status, and work experience.

It is recommended that the health sector authorities design policies that guarantee strategies to improve the mental health of nursing personnel, as well as to guarantee fair and dignified treatment.