EFFECTS OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON NURSES

An American Nurses Foundation survey on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic found many nurses reported negative feelings like exhaustion or anxiety, yet most did not seek out professional mental health support.

TOP 10 NEGATIVE FEELINGS EXPERIENCED BY NURSES

Percentage of nurses who reported experiencing a feeling in the 14 days before being surveyed.

Note: Top positive feeling reported was “My work has meaning” at 32%.

MENTAL HEALTH CARE

Only 24% of nurses surveyed sought professional mental health support since March 2020. Their reasons for not seeking help varied.

Additional responses included:
• Employee assistance program (EAP) confidentiality concerns, don’t know where to access support: 4% each
• Concern about my license, stigma with my family, fear of retribution by my employer, stigma with my colleagues: 3% each
• EAP not available: 2%
• Other: 9%