Abstract
Background: Posttraumatic growth (PTG) is the experience of positive psychological change after struggling with major life crises, often resulting in a re-evaluation of priorities, greater appreciation for life, and spiritual/existential growth. The purpose of this national study was to measure PTG levels among nurses caring for patients during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Design: The survey study consisted of 2,077 U.S. based Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses (AMSN) members and nurses from 23 hospitals in HCA Healthcare. The Posttraumatic Growth Inventory-Expanded (PTGI-X) and a demographic data collection sheet were used to collect data. Descriptive statistics and reliability testing were performed, as well as analysis of variance.
Results: Most nurses were white, female, married, baccalaureate-prepared, and worked full-time. On average, the nurses were 43 (SD=12) years old and had 12 (SD=10.7) years of nursing experience; 45% were certified. Half of the nurses identified themselves as religious (50%) or spiritual (38%). Most of the nurses (93%) cared for COVID patients, with 65% of them working in COVID-designated units; 54% worked in units other than their home units; 65% cared for COVID patients that died. The results showed the greatest growth in factors related to personal strength and appreciation of life. However, growth in areas related to emotional connection, faith in others, and clarity about life’s meaning were low.
Nursing Implications: The findings suggest nurses may not have fully processed their feelings about providing care during the pandemic and may be in the intrusive rumination phase of PTG due to ongoing stress in the work environment. Providing psychological support for nurses and opportunities for them to share their experiences among their peers may be important steps needed to facilitate their PTG journey. Interventions such as providing staff access to a psychiatric clinical nurse specialist or nurse practitioner, workshops to teach skills such as mindfulness and journaling, and peer support groups may be helpful. Research has demonstrated that nurses from various nations do not seek support from employee assistance programs (EAP) because of fear that behavioral health symptoms will be reported or documented in their work records. Therefore, intervention programs should not be advertised as EAP-initiated. Clear and caring communication from leaders also was cited to be extremely important in recent research.
Notes
References:
Cui, P. P., Wang, P. P., Wang, K., Ping, Z., Wang, P., & Chen, C. (2021). Post-traumatic growth and influencing factors among frontline nurses fighting against COVID-19. Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 78(2), 129–135. https://doi.org/10.1136/oemed-2020-106540
Doherty, M. E., Scannell-Desch, E., & Brady, J. (2020). A positive side of deployment: Vicarious posttraumatic growth in U.S. military nurses who served in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 52(3), 233-241.
Orrù, G., Marzetti, F., Conversano, C., Vagheggini, G., Miccoli, M., Ciacchini, R., Panait, E., & Gemignani, A. (2021). Secondary traumatic stress and burnout in healthcare workers during COVID-19 outbreak. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(1), 337. https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/1/337
Tedeschi, R. G. (2020, July-August). Crisis management: Growth after trauma. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2020/07/growth-after-trauma
Yoder, L. H., Ferro, A. L., & Rivers, F. (2023). Post-traumatic growth among military enroute care nurses: A secondary analysis. Archives in Psychiatric Nursing, 45,169-175. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apnu.2023.05.001
Gordon, J. M., Yoder, L., & Magbee, T. (2021). The experiences of critical care nurses caring for patients with COVID-19 during the 2020 pandemic: A qualitative study, Applied Nursing Research, 59, 151418.
Sigma Membership
Epsilon Theta, Delta Alpha at-Large
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Other
Research Approach
Other
Keywords:
Stress and Coping, Workforce, Global Leadership, Posttraumatic Growth, COVID-19
Recommended Citation
Yoder, Linda H.; Gordon, Jacqueline M.; and Zanville, Noah, "The Lingering Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Nurses" (2025). International Nursing Research Congress (INRC). 233.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/inrc/2025/presentations_2025/233
Conference Name
36th International Nursing Research Congress
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Seattle, Washington, USA
Conference Year
2025
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
The Lingering Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Nurses
Seattle, Washington, USA
Background: Posttraumatic growth (PTG) is the experience of positive psychological change after struggling with major life crises, often resulting in a re-evaluation of priorities, greater appreciation for life, and spiritual/existential growth. The purpose of this national study was to measure PTG levels among nurses caring for patients during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Design: The survey study consisted of 2,077 U.S. based Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses (AMSN) members and nurses from 23 hospitals in HCA Healthcare. The Posttraumatic Growth Inventory-Expanded (PTGI-X) and a demographic data collection sheet were used to collect data. Descriptive statistics and reliability testing were performed, as well as analysis of variance.
Results: Most nurses were white, female, married, baccalaureate-prepared, and worked full-time. On average, the nurses were 43 (SD=12) years old and had 12 (SD=10.7) years of nursing experience; 45% were certified. Half of the nurses identified themselves as religious (50%) or spiritual (38%). Most of the nurses (93%) cared for COVID patients, with 65% of them working in COVID-designated units; 54% worked in units other than their home units; 65% cared for COVID patients that died. The results showed the greatest growth in factors related to personal strength and appreciation of life. However, growth in areas related to emotional connection, faith in others, and clarity about life’s meaning were low.
Nursing Implications: The findings suggest nurses may not have fully processed their feelings about providing care during the pandemic and may be in the intrusive rumination phase of PTG due to ongoing stress in the work environment. Providing psychological support for nurses and opportunities for them to share their experiences among their peers may be important steps needed to facilitate their PTG journey. Interventions such as providing staff access to a psychiatric clinical nurse specialist or nurse practitioner, workshops to teach skills such as mindfulness and journaling, and peer support groups may be helpful. Research has demonstrated that nurses from various nations do not seek support from employee assistance programs (EAP) because of fear that behavioral health symptoms will be reported or documented in their work records. Therefore, intervention programs should not be advertised as EAP-initiated. Clear and caring communication from leaders also was cited to be extremely important in recent research.
Description
This presentation will provide results from a recently completed nursing study about Posttraumatic Growth after caring for COVID-19 patients. The study findings from 2077 nurses from the Academy of Medical Surgical Nurses and 23 hospitals in HCA Healthcare suggest nurses may not have fully processed their feelings about providing care during the pandemic and may be in the intrusive rumination phase of PTG due to ongoing stress in the work environment.