Stressors and difficulties perceived during the pandemic in the teaching activity of nursing professors

Background The coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has prompted several changes in teaching methods in addition to the ways of learning by students. Objective To check whether a relationship between factors, such as resilience, self-esteem, depression, anxiety, academic stressors, and a change in teaching methods and learning since the first epidemic outbreak exists. Materials and methods This study was a cross-sectional descriptive one with a non-random sample of nursing degree teachers who did or did not participate in clinical activities but had been teaching online since the start of the pandemic. Data were collected with online questionnaires validated for self-completion with Google Forms. Results Regarding the analysis of the descriptive data of each scale, we can verify that data indicate very high levels of resilience and self-esteem in the normal range with minimal levels of depression, moderate anxiety, and finally not worrying about sources of stress in teachers. Also, negative correlations were found between the 10 Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI 2), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and Scale of Sources of Stress in Teachers with a statistical significance of p < 0.001. The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale also showed negative correlations with the three previously mentioned scales with a statistical significance of p < 0.001. Finally, positive correlations between the Beck (BDI 2), Beck (BAI), and Sources of Stress in Teachers scales and between the Rosenberg Self-Esteem scale and the 10 CD RISC scale were found (p < 0.001). Discussion Our study shows that nursing degree teachers combine teaching with activities and presented moderate levels of anxiety, depression, and tolerance to academic stressors and were able to maintain optimal levels of self-esteem and resilience, indicating that these two factors act as protectors against these stressors. Tweetable Nursing teachers presented moderate levels of anxiety, depression, and academic stressors due to optimal levels of self-esteem and resilience.

Burnout, resilience and psychological flexibility in frontline nurses during the acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic (2020) in Madrid, Spain.

BACKGROUND: In April 2020, Spain was the country with the highest number of patients infected by COVID-19 in Europe. The pressure on health care providers has had a direct impact on nurses and their mental health. AIM: The aim of this study is to demonstrate the causal relationship between resilience, acceptance, experiential avoidance, psychological inflexibility and burnout syndrome, all of which are measured with validated questionnaires. METHODS: This was designed as a transversal correlational study with nurses who worked during the acute phase of the pandemic in public hospitals in the Community of Madrid with patients diagnosed with COVID-19 in COVID-19 medical hospitalization units, emergency services and intensive care units. Google Forms was used to obtain an informed consent sheet, socio-demographic variables and the following questionnaires: 10 CD-Risk, Connor-Davidson Risk Resilience Scale, Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II and the Maslach Burnout Inventory. RESULTS: The final sample included 375 nurses with a high number of consecutive days of direct exposure to an infected patient and a very high number of consecutive days without rest; almost 18% suffered from COVID-19. The nurses presented medium levels of resilience, medium levels of experiential avoidance and medium levels as measured for emotional exhaustion, personal accomplishment and depersonalization. We also found a predictive correlation between all the dimensions of the burnout questionnaire in relation to the data obtained from the resilience questionnaire. CONCLUSIONS: There is a direct and predictive relationship between the resilience that nurses had during the acute phase of the pandemic and their capacity for acceptance, experiential avoidance, psychological inflexibility and burnout syndrome. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: The scores show the necessity to implement preventive measures to avoid fatal psychological consequences for nurses.

Use of the Barthel Index to Assess Activities of Daily Living before and after SARS-COVID 19 Infection of Institutionalized Nursing Home Patients.

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the activities of daily living (ADLs) using the Barthel Index before and after infection with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and also to determine whether or not the results varied according to gender. The ADLs of 68 cohabiting geriatric patients, 34 men and 34 women, in two nursing homes were measured before and after SARS-CoV-2 (Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19)) infection. COVID-19 infection was found to affect the performance of ADLs in institutionalized elderly in nursing homes, especially in the more elderly subjects, regardless of sex. The COVID-19 pandemic, in addition to having claimed many victims, especially in the elderly population, has led to a reduction in the abilities of these people to perform their ADLs and caused considerable worsening of their quality of life even after recovering from the disease.