Study details factors linked to nurse depression during pandemic’s first wave

A survey of nearly 2,500 nurses employed at four New York University Langone Health System hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic linked higher levels of depression and anxiety to several factors: the frequency with which nurses cared for COVID-19 patients; organizational constraints; the pandemic’s impact on their personal lives; and conflicts between demands at work and at home. Perceived mastery had the strongest negative correlation with depression and anxiety. When asked what helped the nurses to carry out their care of patients, the most common responses were support from and to co-workers, training in the proper use of PPE, and support from family and friends. (Nursing Outlook article, 4/7/21)