Article
On the frontline of COVID-19: nurses working in care homes perceive severe burden during the COVID-19 pandemic
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Authors
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Christian Hering
- Institut für Medizinische Soziologie und Rehabilitationswissenschaft, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Deutschland
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Annabell Gangnus
- Institut für Medizinische Soziologie und Rehabilitationswissenschaft, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Deutschland
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Raphael Kohl
- Institut für Medizinische Soziologie und Rehabilitationswissenschaft, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Deutschland
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Elisabeth Steinhagen-Thiessen
- Arbeitsbereich Lipidstoffwechsel der Medizinischen Klinik für Endokrinologie und Stoffwechselmedizin, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Deutschland
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Clara Sophia Sander
- Institut für Medizinische Soziologie und Rehabilitationswissenschaft, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Deutschland
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Paul Gellert
- Institut für Medizinische Soziologie und Rehabilitationswissenschaft, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Deutschland
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Adelheid Kuhlmey
- Institut für Medizinische Soziologie und Rehabilitationswissenschaft, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Deutschland
| Published: | September 27, 2021 |
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Outline
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Background and status of (inter)national research: Since the spread of the novel coronavirus, health care workers healthcare workers all over the world had to deal with COVID-19. For nurses in hospitals, high levels of anxiety, depression and stress during the pandemic, but data from nursing homes is not yet available.
Question and objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate the situation for nurses in the German care home settings during the COVID-19 pandemic. We hypothesized that nurses in German nursing homes perceive a high psychosocial burden during the pandemic.
Method or hypothesis: This study is part of COVID-Heim, a cooperation project that combines various data sources in order to draw lessons from the corona pandemic for structural developments in nursing homes. Between November 2020 and February 2021, an online survey on social media to gather information about the psychosocial situation of nurses in German nursing homes during the first wave of the pandemic in Germany (March to June 2020) was administered. N=811 nurses answered questions regarding risk factors for a severe course for COVID-19 for the nurses themselves, COVID-19 outbreaks in care homes, work demands, different burdens and anxiety, stress, depression and anxiety symptoms during the pandemic.
Results: 55.1% showed at least one risk factor for a severe course of COVID-19. 74.5% confirmed a COVID-19 outbreak in their nursing home. 94.1% stated that their work demands increased since the beginning of the pandemic. The highest burden during the pandemic were the reported high expectations of the families of the residents (95%). Nurses feared the consequences for the health of their relatives after being infected with SARS-CoV-2 (77.3%). 38% are suffering from clinically significant stress; 40.9% from clinically significant depressive symptoms; and 36.3% from clinically significant anxiety.
Discussion: The results shown are in line with previous research indicating higher work demands as well as high scores on measurements for stress, anxiety and depression. The high psychosocial burden of nurses in care homes during the COVID-19 pandemic highlights possible exacerbations of preexisting structural problems in care homes (i.e. lack of personnel, poor gratification, and exhaustion).
Practical implications: Short- and above all structural-long-term strategies in the work environment of nursing, in crisis situations, but beyond, should be encouraged in order to reduce the burden on caregivers.
Appeal for practice (science and/or care) in one sentence: High Psychosocial Burden in nurses in care home settings should raise awareness for structural changes in care home settings for the elderly.
