Problems Causing Work-Related Stress and Strategies for Coping with Stress Suggested by Nurses During Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Nurses play a pivotal role in the battle against COVID-19. Investigation of the stressful circumstances nurses have encountered provides an opportunity to identify potential strategies for relieving occupational stress among nurses during a crisis. Research on nurses’ occupational stress in Estonia has been limited, so our understanding of what causes stress is incomplete. This study uses Karasek’s JDC model to explore the factors that can lead to occupational stress for nurses. The purpose of this research is to investigate the stressful circumstances encountered by nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic and to identify potential strategies for reducing occupational stress among nurses in Estonia. Using Karasek’s JDC model, this study seeks to explore the factors that contribute to nurses’ occupational stress and develop effective strategies to address these stressors. Content analysis was used to analyze the data and identify themes and patterns. The themes were related to the topics of the study, such as nurses’ experiences working on a COVID-19 ward, the challenges they faced, and the strategies they used to deal with these challenges. The results of the study will be used to improve the quality of care provided to COVID-19 patients in the hospital. Nurses’ main issues were linked to high work demands and low discretion regarding decisions. The problems concerning work demands were mainly associated with a lack of management, interpersonal relations, and a heavy workload. Insufficient management support, unclear instructions, inadequate knowledge about how to use PPE, and nurses’ differing understandings of work organization were reported as existing problems. Heavy workloads and insufficient rest periods resulted in physical and mental health problems among nurses. Low discretion was caused by unexpected situations necessitating quick and ethical decision-making. The findings of this study indicate that nurses in hospitals are facing several issues related to high work demands and a lack of discretion in decision-making. Strategies proposed by nurses to address these issues include offering additional training and classes, increasing the number of nurses, improving communication, and enhancing access to professional mental health support. These findings can be used to improve the quality of care provided to COVID-19 patients in hospitals.