Psychological Conditions among Nurses in Caring for the COVID-19 Patients: A Study from Referral Hospitals of Aceh, Indonesia


 
 Nurses as frontline health care providers during the COVID-19 pandemic are at high risk or were vulnerable to virus infection. Physical and mental conditions in caring for COVID-19 patients in hospitals may might be associated with the exacerbation of the nurses experiencing depression, anxiety, and stress among the nurses.
 
 
 
 The study aimed to identify the psychological conditions (depression, anxiety, and stress) among nurses providing clinical assistance to in caring for COVID-19 patients.
 
 
 
 This investigation employed a comparative study with a cross-sectional study design. The respondents were 109 nurses working in the COVID-19 wards in two referral hospitals offering care caring for COVID-19 patients. Data were collected using the standardized DASS-21 questionnaire and analyzed using Mann Whitney U-test.
 
 
 
 The results showed psychological conditions among nurses caring for the COVID-19 patients with depression (moderate) among 60.0% and 58.8%, anxiety (severe) 60,0% and 58.8%, and stress levels (mild) 56% and 52.9% for hospital A and B, respectively. The study also found no significant difference in depression (p=0.890), anxiety (p=0.846), and stress levels (p=0.806, α=0.05) between the nurses in the COVID-19 wards of the two hospitals.
 
 
 
 The demographic data of nurses, such as age, education level, working experience, hospital facilities, attended workshops/training on the use of personal protective equipment (PPE)/Hazmat, and management of COVID-19 patients might contribute to psychlogical conditions (depression, anxiety, and stress) among nurses in caring for the COVID-19 patients.
