Psychological Impact of COVID-19 on Redeployed Nurses in China: A Cross-Sectional Survey

To investigate the prevalence of anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in nurses redeployed to intensive care units (ICUs) during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A cross-sectional survey study was used to collect quantitative data.

An online survey comprising validated instruments and demographic questions was administered to 137 redeployed ICU nurses at a tertiary hospital in Shijiazhuang, China, between December 1 and 30, 2022. Regression analyses were performed to identify factors that influence anxiety, depression and PTSD. The study followed the STROBE checklist.

Among respondents, 75.9% reported anxiety, 75.9% depression, 94.1% experienced anxiety-depression syndrome and 40.1% showed moderate to severe PTSD symptoms. Multifactorial logistic regression revealed that fear of patient death (p = 0.001) and a history of burnout syndrome (p = 0.017) were independent predictors of PTSD.

Redeployed ICU nurses experienced high rates of anxiety, depression and PTSD during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nurses with a history of burnout syndrome and fear of death were more likely to develop PTSD.

A nurse leader and four senior nurses experienced in the ICU contributed to the design of the questionnaire and recruitment of participants. WHAT DOES THIS PAPER CONTRIBUTE TO THE BROADER GLOBAL CLINICAL COMMUNITY?: Enhances understanding of the psychological effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on ICU nurses. Informs the development of mental health interventions to support ICU nurses' well-being.