Improving the Mental Health of Nursing Staff Seen from the Perspective of Staff a Preliminary Study.

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, nurses faced enormous emotional challenges and profound physical fatigue, as well as constant concerns about whether they would receive genuine support in the workplace. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of nurses and to identify key challenges, coping strategies and needs for institutional support. Methods: It was conducted in Albania and followed a mixed-methods design in two interconnected phases, using a mixed-methods approach. Phase I included a quantitative survey of 288 nurses from regional hospitals in Fier and Vlora using a structured questionnaire covering five domains: workplace challenges, stress and work-life balance, health effects and burnout, coping mechanisms, and suggestions for improvement. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Phase II consisted of a reflective seminar with 47 nurses selected from the initial sample. Participants shared their post-pandemic experiences, coping strategies, and proposals for improving mental well-being. SWOT analysis was used to structure the reflections and identify internal and external factors influencing nurses' mental health. Results: The results showed that nurses continue to face high workload, insufficient psychological support, and that 37.5% reported their work-life balance had worsened since the pandemic (21.9% sometimes; 15.6% most of the time). Participation in the reflective seminar had a positive impact on increasing professional awareness. Conclusions: These findings highlight the need for structured and sustainable interventions within healthcare institutions to protect and promote nurses' mental health in post-crisis contexts.