Surviving the chaos of Covid-19: exploring the impact of the pandemic on the mental health and well-being of Northern Ontario nurses

Abstract

The study addressed the impact of the Coronavirus-19 (COVID-19) pandemic on the mental health of registered nurses (RNs) and registered practical nurses (RPNs) in Northern Ontario. The research question was: The research question guiding this study was: What are the perceived mental health impacts of COVID-19 on Northern Ontario registered nurses and registered practical nurses working during the pandemic? A total of 127 nurses provided qualitative comments which were analyzed following Helvi Kyngäs et al.'s (2020) content analysis methodology, and the adapted Nursing Worklife model guided the interpretation. The key theme was Surviving the Chaos of COVID-19 and was supported by four themes and two subthemes: 1) Threats to Nurses’ Health and Well-being (with sub-themes: a) threats to nurses’ mental and emotional health and b) threats to nurses’ safety), 2) Cut Off from the Familiar, 3) Systemic Chaos, and 4) Navigating Diminished Supports and Resources. The results highlighted concerns about nurses' mental health and adverse workplace conditions, offering valuable insights for healthcare institutions to enhance working conditions and address threats to nurses' health during future global health crises.