The psychological resilience and perceived stress of the frontline heroes in the pandemic in Turkey: A descriptive study of the COVID-19 outbreak-mutations-normalization triad

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Boran M., Boran O. F., Körükcü Ö., Özkaya M.

JAPAN JOURNAL OF NURSING SCIENCE, cilt.19, sa.1, 2022 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 19 Sayı: 1
  • Basım Tarihi: 2022
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1111/jjns.12442
  • Dergi Adı: JAPAN JOURNAL OF NURSING SCIENCE
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, CINAHL, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Psycinfo
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: COVID-19 outbreak, intensive care workers, perceived stress, psychological resilience, MEDICAL WORKERS, HEALTH
  • Akdeniz Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Aim To determine the psychological resilience and perceived stress levels of healthcare workers in COVID-19 intensive care units. Methods The study was conducted with 418 physicians and nurses in Turkey between July and August 2020. The data were collected with an online survey consisting of a personal information form, the Brief Resilience Scale, and the Perceived Stress Scale. Results The study sample comprised 32.5% physicians and 67.5% nurses. Fear of transmission of COVID-19 from the patients in their care was stated by 92.6% of the physicians and 95.7% of the nurses. Almost all of the participants (99.3%) were afraid of transmitting COVID-19 to their families. The psychological resilience level of the physicians (18.42 +/- 2.25) participating in the study was higher than that of the nurses (17.88 +/- 2.00), and the perceived stress level was lower. It was determined that most physicians and nurses strengthened their team/work friendship bonds during the pandemic, but the motivation to work decreased. Conclusion The study results suggest that frontline intensive care workers should be closely monitored as a high-risk group for psychological problems. The provision of better personal protective equipment, together with on-going monitoring and provision of psychological support, and strong family support will increase the resilience of frontline healthcare workers.