A new study has shown that nurses experienced high levels of anxiety, depression and difficulty … [+]
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Newly released research shows that over half of nurses had problems sleeping during the first 6 months of the Covid-19 pandemic. The study surveyed over 600 nurses across 18 states and also conducted more detailed interviews with 34 nurses, to learn more about their experiences.
“Our study indicates that at the very beginning of the pandemic, nurses were suffering from high rates of insomnia, anxiety, and depressive symptoms,” said Amy Witkoski Stimpfel, PhD, RN, lead author of the study and an assistant professor at New York University’s Rory Meyers College of Nursing.
Almost a quarter of nurses reported being depressed with 52% reporting anxiety and the study found that difficulty sleeping was a contributing factor to this in some people, but caused by poor mental health in others.
“We found that sleep problems were interwoven with anxiety and depressive symptoms,” said Witkoski Stimpfel. “Prior research supports this bidirectional relationship between sleep and mental health. We know that getting sufficient sleep fosters mental and emotional resilience, while not getting enough sleep predisposes the brain to negative thinking and emotional vulnerability,” she added.
Nurses have faced several challenges working during the Covid-19 pandemic. These include; shortages have resulted in many working overtime, early lack of personal protective equipment to protect them from Covid-19 and witnessing widespread suffering and death. With the omicron Covid-19 wave still sweeping through the United States causing thousands of deaths a day, the pressure on nurses continues and despite their best efforts, patient care may be impacted.
“Impaired sleep (both in quantity and quality) can have significant consequences on a nurse’s ability to provide optimal patient care in terms of decision-making, communicating, and maintaining alertness,” said Witkoski Stimpfel. “Long work hours, overtime, and poor sleep among nurses have been associated with patient safety and quality, including errors and mortality, in many studies,” she added.
Witkoski Stimpfel and colleagues are continuing to collect data on the impact of the pandemic on nurses and expect to have more up-to-date information in the coming months, but in the meantime, what can be done to better support nurses at this time?
“Healthcare leaders can best support nurses by ensuring adequate resources are available to them, including sufficient staffing, which allows nurses to take adequate time off, whether it’s for a mental health day, because they are sick or caring for a sick family member, or they are taking planned vacation time,” said Witkoski Stimpfel adding that leaders also need to be vigilant about monitoring staff well-being and be proactive about ensuring that those who are suffering from mental health consequences associated with the pandemic get adequate care.
“The status quo of an overworked, underpaid, and under-supported nursing workforce cannot continue. When nurses are in crisis, we are all in crisis. Without adequate nursing care, the nation’s health is in jeopardy,” said Witkoski Stimpfel.
