Research Article: Anxiety and Insomnia Mediate the Association of Fear of Infection and Fatigue: A Cross-Sectional Survey of Nurses Deployed to a COVID- Epicenter in China
Abstract:
The COVID- pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus is an extraordinary global health crisis and a significant public health event. Healthcare workers, who have been at the forefront of the pandemic response, have faced immense physical and psychological stress, leading to serious mental health concerns. Previous research has indicated that healthcare professionals, especially those working in Emergency and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) settings, have faced various forms of distress during the COVID- pandemic, including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and headaches., Specifically, clinical nurses have shown a higher prevalence of emotional challenges, with around % of ICU nurses reporting anxiety and over % experiencing depression and PTSD as they confront the virus. Clinical nurses often bear witness to the deaths of COVID- patients, which intensifies their fear of infection. The heightened risk of occupational exposure to the virus further compounds the challenges faced by nurses, as their social lives are already disrupted by the outbreak of COVID-. This situation exacerbates work-related fatigue, leading to decreased work capacity and performance. Studies have estimated that during the COVID- pandemic, approximately % to % of clinical nurses in China experienced moderate to high levels of work-related fatigue. Fatigue is recognized as a medical condition characterized by a reduced ability to perform tasks due to inadequate energy recovery. It poses a significant risk to occupational health and patient safety, manifesting in excessive daytime sleepiness, decreased productivity, and an increased likelihood of work errors and adverse events in patient care.
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