Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate post-traumatic stress, job stress, fatigue, social support of nurses in direct care for COVID-19 patients and identify the factors affecting post-traumatic stress.
Method: The participants were 150 nurses who are working in the three hospitals located in C and J city, Gyeongsangnam-do Province and S city, Jeollanam-do Province. As for the tool to measure post-traumatic stress, Impact of Event Scale Revised Korea Version developed by Eun Hun Jeong et al. (2005) was used after being amended and supplemented by this researcher. Job stress was measured using the Job stress Measurement tool developed by Her Sun (2013) after being amended and supplemented by this researcher. Fatigue was measured using the tool developed by Gu Hyo Hoon (2004). Social support was measured using the tool developed Jung Heung Chae (2008) after being amended and supplemented by this researcher. The data collection period ranged from September 11, 2020 to September 21, 2020. The data were analyzed with SPSS WIN/25.0 program. The necessity, purpose, and benefits of this study, data collection methods, time required, and confidentiality were notified to the participants with approval of Bioethics Committee of G University in J city.
Result: The results of this study ars as follows.
1. Participants’ score of post-traumatic stress was 22.27±15.49points(range 0-88). Participants’ Mean score of job stress was 3.64±0.53points(range 1-5), fatigue was 3.53±0.56points(range 1-5) and social support was 3.44±0.50points(range 1-5). Post-traumatic stress high risk group was 35.3%, risk group was 20%, normal group was 44.7%.
2. Post-traumatic stress according to job related characteristics showed statistically significant differences for quarantined experience(t=2.15, p=.033), provision of COVID-19 manual(t=-2.40, p=.026). Job stress according to job related characteristics showed statistically significant differences for institutional type(t=-2.80, p=.006) and fatigue according to general characteristics showed statistically significant differences for institutional type(t=-2.80, p=.006). Social support according to job related characteristics showed statistically significant differences for institutional type(t=2.13, p=.035)
3. Post-traumatic stress and job stress(r=.48, p<.001), fatigure(r=.58, p<.001) had a positive correlation and social support(r=-.22, p=.005) had a negative correlation. Job stress had a positive correlation with fatigue(r=.74, p<.001). Job stress and social support(r=-.17, p=.030), fatigue and social support(r=-.17, p=.029) had a negative correlation.
4. The regression analysis result by stage showed that the factors affecting post-traumatic stress includes fatigue(β=.56, p<.001), provision of COVID-19 manual(β=-.24, p<.001), quarantined experience(β=.18, p=.016) and that the total explanatory power was 42.1%.
Conclusion: In this study, fatigue, provision of COVID-19 manual, quarantined experience were found to be influential factors affecting post-traumatic stress of nurses in direct care for COVID-19 patients. Therefore, establish the intervention measures for reducing the fatigue should consider to prevent post-traumatic stress in nurses. Also, provision of COVID-19 manual for nurses and psychological intervention program for quarantine experienced nurses are necessary.