Working the front lines of the early COVID-19 pandemic led to sleepless nights, anxiety, and depression for more than half of nurses surveyed for a new study.
"Nurses are already at risk for higher rates of depression and insufficient sleep compared to other professions, thanks to the stress of patient care and the nature of shift work," said Amy Witkoski Stimpfel, PhD, RN, assistant professor at NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing and the study's lead author.
"The pandemic seems to have further exacerbated these issues to the detriment of nurses’ well-being," Witkoski Stimpfel said.
The study's researchers, who surveyed 629 nurses and interviewed 34 nurses, found high rates of insomnia (55%), anxiety (52%), and depression (22%) among nurses. Notably, difficulty sleeping was both a contributing factor to and an outcome of poor mental health, researchers said.
Recommendations include allowing scheduling flexibility for nurses who need to take time off to be evaluated for a sleep disorder, mental health care services or other health care services.