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.