Analysis of mental health effects among nurses working during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review.

WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT?: Working on the frontline during the pandemic has had a negative impact on the mental health of health professionals. A significant proportion experienced anxiety, insomnia, posttraumatic stress or depression. WHAT THE PAPER ADDS TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE?: Analysis and synthesis of the evidence of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of nurses based on their work context. There exists a gap in the literature as no studies were found that analysed the effects on nurses' mental health according to the level of care they worked in (hospital-primary care-nursing home). WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: There is an urgent need to assess and respond to the impact of COVID-19 on the physical and mental well-being of nurses, and to monitor international policies for the improvement of nurses' working conditions. ABSTRACT: Introduction Health professionals have suffered negative consequences during the COVID-19 pandemic. No review has specifically addressed the impact of the pandemic on the mental health of nurses exclusively according to the work context. Aim To analyse the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of nurses who have worked in hospitals, primary care centres and social health centres. Method PubMed, CINAHL, PsychINFO and Cochrane databases were searched (Prospero number: CRD42021249513). Out of 706 papers, 31 studies (2020-2021) were included in the systematic review. A qualitative synthesis method was used to analyse the data. Results Most studies were conducted in hospitals or frontline settings. The prevalence of moderate-to-severe symptoms was for anxiety 29.55%, depression 38.79%, posttraumatic stress disorder 29.8%, and insomnia 40.66%. Discussion This review highlights the mental health effects among nurses working in acute hospital settings. It also evidences a data gap on mental health effects among nurses working in primary health care and in nursing homes. Implications for practice In the post phase of the pandemic, there is an urgent need to assess and respond to the impact on the mental well-being of nurses, and to monitor international policies for the improvement of nurses' working conditions.

Continuity of Care Challenges for Professional Nursing Practice

The relational dimension refers to the interaction between professionals and patients and their families over time;the informational dimension means the use and transmission of information, and the managerial dimension is related to the coordination between professionals and services. [...]several challenges are associated with these three dimensions of continuity of care for nurses' professional practice, as addressed below. The emergence of new professional profiles, such as the liaison nurse or case manager, facilitates the relationship of the patient and their family with health professionals. [...]the therapeutic relationship must be established with the same person (liaison nurse or case manager) to build trust. [...]this situation constitutes a significant challenge for nurse managers. [...]the COVID-19 pandemic has entailed the redesign of care management processes: defining new guidelines for action, redistributing staffing and staff rotation to care for COVID-19 patients without neglecting the rest of patients, promoting nurse training in record time for patient safety, and adapting nurses' work dynamics to respond to new health circumstances.