Nurses’ mental health status, work motivation levels and related factors during the pandemic period

Abstract

Aim: This study is aimed to examine the mental health status, work motivation levels and related factors of nurses who care for COVID-19 patients during the pandemic period. Materials and Methods: This study was planned as a descriptive cross-sectional study. Data were collected at a university hospital between October 2021 and January 2022. Personal Information Form developed by the researchers based on the literature, General Health Questionnaire-28, and Nurse Job Motivation Scale were used to collect the data. Results: More than half of the nurses (56.1%) were in the risk group in terms of mental health. There is a negative significant relationship between the work motivation levels of nurses and their mental health status. In addition, it has been determined that the number of patients affecting the workload of nurses during the pandemic process is related to the mental states and motivations of the nurses. Conclusion: Strategies should be developed to increase nurses’ motivation and to improve their mental health in health institutions that care for COVID-19 cases.