Chipps Jennifer, Steenkamp Ilze, Padmanabhanunni Anita, Brysiewicz Petra, Cromhout Amanda
School of Nursing, Faculty of Community and Health Sciences, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa.
Department of Psychology, Faculty of Community and Health Sciences, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa.
Health SA. 2025 Mar 21;30:2820. doi: 10.4102/hsag.v30i0.2820. eCollection 2025.
Nurses are exposed to high levels of stress in the workplace. During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, levels of stress were exacerbated, impacting on nurses' mental health.
The aim of the study was to investigate psychological distress and resilience, and how nurses with different levels of education responded to stress.
The study was conducted in three hospitals (a psychiatric hospital, a general district hospital and a dedicated COVID-19 hospital) in the Western Cape province, South Africa.
A survey was conducted with frontline nurses ( = 167 [71.8%]) in three hospitals in the Western Cape using six validated self-administered scales.
Respondents reported high levels of moral distress related to time (3.42/6, ± 1.6) and protection during COVID-19 (1.3/3, ± 0.7). Mild-to-moderate levels of fear of COVID-19 (19.4/35, ± 8.2) and a moderate perception of vulnerability to disease (60.7/105, ± 19.9) contributed to nurses' stress. High levels of psychological distress, especially during COVID-19 compared to current levels (27.2 vs 18.8; = 8.9, = < 0.001), with high levels of resilience (73.2/88, ± 17.9) were reported. Enrolled nurses reported significantly higher levels of stress during the pandemic.
Post COVID-19, there was reduction in the respondents who reported severe levels of psychological distress, highlighting the impact of the pandemic on nurses' mental health and the need to build resilience.
This study enhances understanding of the factors that result in psychological distress in nurses and how nurses with different levels of education respond to stress.
护士在工作场所面临高度压力。在2019年冠状病毒病（COVID-19）大流行期间，压力水平加剧，影响了护士的心理健康。
本研究的目的是调查心理困扰和恢复力，以及不同教育水平的护士如何应对压力。
该研究在南非西开普省的三家医院（一家精神病医院、一家综合地区医院和一家专门的COVID-19医院）进行。
使用六个经过验证的自我管理量表，对西开普省三家医院的一线护士（n = 167 [71.8%]）进行了调查。
受访者报告称，与时间相关的道德困扰程度较高（3.42/6，±1.6），以及在COVID-19期间的防护方面（1.3/3，±0.7）。对COVID-19的轻度至中度恐惧（19.4/35，±8.2）和对疾病易感性的中度认知（60.7/105，±19.9）导致了护士的压力。报告显示，心理困扰程度较高，尤其是与当前水平相比，在COVID-19期间（27.2对18.8；t = 8.9，p = < 0.001），同时恢复力水平较高（73.2/88，±17.9）。注册护士在大流行期间报告的压力水平明显更高。
COVID-19之后，报告严重心理困扰水平的受访者有所减少，突出了大流行对护士心理健康的影响以及培养恢复力的必要性。
本研究增进了对导致护士心理困扰的因素以及不同教育水平的护士如何应对压力的理解。
