Understanding the Experiences and Support Needs of Nurses During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The purpose of this dissertation is to understand the experiences and support needs of nurses during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Chapter one introduces the necessary background information regarding the nursing profession, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the need for continued research on nurse well-being. Chapter two analyzes commonly used and intertwined psychological and emotional concepts impacting nurse well-being during and after the COVID-19 pandemic through concept delineation and the development of an occupational trauma conceptual model. Chapter three describes the perspectives of nurses (n = 8) on the psychological and emotional concepts of compassion fatigue, second victim, burnout, and moral injury that have impacted the nursing profession during and after the COVID-19 pandemic and how they relate to these concepts using a qualitative descriptive design. Chapter four describes the experiences of chronic and ongoing psychological trauma that nurses (n = 8) have endured during and after the COVID-19 pandemic using a qualitative descriptive design. Chapter five describes the experiences and desired support needs of nurses (n = 13) during and after the COVID-19 pandemic utilizing a qualitative descriptive design and photovoice methods for data collection. Lastly, chapter six concludes the dissertation by summarizing key findings while discussing future directions and implications for nursing practice and research.