[A Quality Improvement Project for Reducing Work-Related Stress of Nurses in Converting an Oncology Ward Into a Designated COVID-19 Ward During the COVID-19 Pandemic].

BACKGROUND & PROBLEMS: The community spread of SARS-CoV-2 occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic in May 2021 in Taiwan. Due to the large number of COVID-19 patients, demand for healthcare capacity had also increased. In response to the massive influx of patients with COVID-19 in our hospital, a designated COVID-19 ward was established. In addition, the oncology ward was also quickly transformed into a designated COVID-19 ward that shared staff and work schedules with the originally designed COVID-19 ward during the pandemic period. The process of setting up the ward, training personnel, and providing independent care to COVID-19 patients and the period of professional cooperation with medical staff from the infectious disease ward caused great burden and pressure on nurses. PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to reduce the work-related stress index from 20.2 to 15. RESOLUTION: Cross-training and in-service courses were implemented to assist the oncology nurses to learn nursing care for patients with COVID-19. Five solutions were discussed and implemented in a timely manner. The interventions included the unifying the logistical flows between wards, optimizing ward environments, providing education and training on COVID-19, launching a new communication platform to facilitate discussions and gather various opinions, and implementing flexible scheduling. RESULTS: The stress index score declined from 20.2 to 8.2 on the stress and anxiety to viral epidemics-9 scale. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study may be referenced to assist nurses and nursing managers when making preparations to transform oncology wards into designed COVID-19 wards.

Validation of the Japanese version of Stress and Anxiety to Viral Epidemics-9 (SAVE-9) and relationship among stress, insomnia, anxiety, and depression in healthcare workers exposed to coronavirus disease 2019.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to validate the Japanese version of the 9-item Stress and Anxiety to Viral Epidemics scale (SAVE-9) and the relationships among the stress related to viral epidemics, insomnia, anxiety, and depression. PATIENTS/METHODS: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted online. In total, 1000 healthcare workers (579 men, 421 women; mean age: 43.11 ± 11.69 years) were asked to complete the SAVE-9, Athens Insomnia Scale, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 Scale, and Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. For the analysis, participants were divided into two groups: healthcare workers at a medical institution designated for COVID-19 (COVID institution) and those working at an institution not designated for COVID-19 (non-COVID institution). RESULTS: Item response theory analysis showed that the SAVE-9 and SAVE-6 (6-item version) had good structural validity and internal consistency (ω = 0.91 and 0.93). Correlation analysis for convergent validity showed a significant positive correlation between both the SAVE-9 and SAVE-6 and the other scales for insomnia, anxiety, and depression. In addition, both SAVE-9 and SAVE-6 scores were higher for workers in COVID institutions than for those in non-COVID institutions. Furthermore, stress related to viral epidemics was found to directly affect anxiety (ß = 0.48) and depression (ß = 0.25) and indirectly affect anxiety (ß = 0.37) and depression (ß = 0.54) via insomnia (ß = 0.33). CONCLUSIONS: This study confirmed that the reliability and validity of both the SAVE-9 and SAVE-6 and that insomnia mediated the effects of stress to viral epidemics on anxiety and depression symptoms.