Psychological Impact of COVID-19 Among New and Experienced Nurses in an Outpatient Oncology Setting (preprint)

ABSTRACT

Background Emerging reports tell us of the serious emotional and psychological impact that working in healthcare in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic is having on the nursing workforce. Newly employed nurses who joined the healthcare sector in this climate also face a unique set of challenges. These issues may not be formally assessed when a newly employed nurse joins the workforce, and if so, go about unnoticed and unaddressed. Objective This study aims to understand the psychological impact and prevalence of burnout amongst new and experienced nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted at an outpatient cancer centre, during the lock-down period in Singapore. Convenient sampling was conducted for existing nurses (n=140), while all new nurses (n=28) were surveyed 3 weeks after their official start of deployment. The questionnaire survey issued included demographics, generalized anxiety disorder, Maslach Burnout Inventory, and measured fear, confidence in healthcare workers, and risk perceptions. Results There was no significant difference in the prevalence of anxiety between the two groups, though there was a higher prevalence seen in new nurses (17.9%) as compared to experienced nurses (10.7%). Experienced nurses reported higher prevalence in every component of “fear, anxiety, anger, disgust, helplessness” as compared to new nurses. New nurses were found to be more fearful that they “will not be prioritised for treatment in intensive care units if they were to contract COVID-19”. Experienced nurses reported higher levels of emotional exhaustion (28.6%) as compared to new nurses (14.3%); higher levels of depersonalization (37.9%), as compared to (28.6%), and lower levels of professional accomplishment (62.9%), as compared to 82.1%. Conclusion Nurses play a critical role in health promotion, disease prevention, and delivering primary and community care. It is therefore important that they should be of good mental health and in a good state to do so. This may be facilitated not only by providing the practical support (adequate PPE, training etc), but also psychological assessment and support to be able to work in this “new normal” clinical environment.