Self-Care in Nursing Professionals during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Integrative Review

Abstract

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic posed unprecedented challenges to the nursing staff, who were at the forefront of patient care and their families. Exposed to the virus due to strenuous work schedules and other factors, their health was at risk. However, they took proactive self-care actions to counteract these factors, promote self-health, and prevent the onset of diseases caused by stressors from the pandemic. These actions, identified in the literature published between 2020-2023, have significantly impacted their individual and collective health. Objective: To identify the self-care strategies implemented by nursing professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic and to analyze them in the light of Giddens’ theoretical proposal. Materials and methods: An integrative literature review under a descriptive scope was conducted between June and September 2023 in the following databases: Pubmed, Scielo, Science Direct, Lilacs, and Google Scholar; also, PRISMA recommendations were taken into account for the organization of the search. Results: 40 articles, published between 2020 and 2023 and representing for different methodological designs, were included in the review. The self-care implemented by nurses during the pandemic was assessed in the light of Giddens’ theoretical proposal under two types of actions: intentional, which account for physical, mental, and emotional health care activities, and deliberate, which focus on care at a social level. Conclusions: The identified self-care actions were oriented toward the promotion of individual and collective health of workers, the reduction of employee turnover, the recognition of stress, and the strengthening of resilience, which can also be implemented nowadays.