The Relationship between Emotional Reactions and Coping Strategies of Nurses during the Outbreak of COVID-19 in Ganjavian Hospital in Dezful in 2020

Abstract

Background: Nurses face challenges when they are in a stressful situation and therefore use strategies to adapt. Objective: Considering the importance of the type of strategy used by nurses to maintain their mental health and considering the differences in the results of studies on the applicability of coping strategies, the present study investigates the emotional reactions and coping strategies of nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: The present study is a cross-sectional (descriptive-analytical) study involving 208 nurses working in Ganjavian Hospital in Dezful in 2020. The instruments used in the questionnaire are: emotional reactions, demographic and coping style questionnaire preference for modified coping practices. Results: The results showed that the mean age of nurses participating in the study was 31.15±7.25 years. Most emotional reactions were related to nurses' feelings of desire with an average of 3.44 ±1. 23 and the lowest related to disgust with a mean of 2.44 ±1.26. The highest coping actions of nurses were related to nurses' emotional coping strategy with a mean of 26.87 ± 4.5. There was a significant relationship between problem-solving coping strategies with emotional disgust and direct anxiety. Conclusion: Due to the high level of hope and anxiety in nurses and the adoption of coping strategies focused on emotion, hospital managers and mental health managers should focus on providing psychological support to nurses and teaching problem-oriented coping strategies. They should also encourage the nurses to deal with their high level of hope for the high anxiety caused by Covid disease.