Nursing Times survey reveals state of nurses’ mental health one year after pandemic began

Our results suggest a workforce feeling ‘completely broken’, with some warnings that there is no ‘safety net’ to catch or support them after a grueling year of Covid-19. Many said they were ready to quit the profession altogether.

Marking one year of the UK coronavirus pandemic, Nursing time conducted a survey to find out the current state of nurses’ mental health and well-being, and whether things have improved or worsened since the beginning. Updates from the survey conducted last year to help launch our Covid-19: Do you agree? mental health campaign.

Almost 12 months later, despite the crisis appearing to be showing signs of receding, the situation appears largely unchanged, with mental health and well-being remaining a major concern. In some ways, it appears that things have actually gotten worse, with a growing number of employees reporting poor mental well-being.

Of nearly 1,200 nurses who responded to the survey last month, 44% described their mental health and well-being as “bad” or “very bad” – a 10% increase from the survey of 2020. In addition, 62% felt their mental health was “worse” or “much worse” now than it was when the spike in cases started last spring.

The stress and anxiety levels experienced by nurses also remained alarming a year later. In total, 84% said they felt “a lot” or “a little” more stressed or anxious than before the start of the pandemic.

A nurse said: “It used to be tough, but since Covid I feel completely broken.” Others described feeling “exhausted, weak and underestimated,” and said tackling the pandemic had been “damaging” to staff.

“There is no safety net. We are all tired and exhausted because there is no respite ”

Respondent

One respondent warned that the situation would only get worse: “There is no safety net. We are all tired and exhausted because there is no respite. Another said: “Many nurses are forced to push back on their problems. There is no opportunity to stop, nor time to think about how it affects you until you are so deep that you don’t know which way to turn.

Not taking care of themselves at work by missing breaks or eating improperly, along with concerns about contracting the virus and the health of their family and friends, were the most contributing factors. most common to increased levels of stress and anxiety among respondents. Almost two-thirds cited these two reasons.

More than half said that not providing effective care due to time or staff constraints added to stress and anxiety, and just over a third cited treating the condition. death of patients who were alone due to coronavirus restrictions. Strikingly, 28% said dealing with Covid-19 related illness and / or the death of a coworker was a reason for their poor mental health.

In last year’s survey, a lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) was one of the most common causes of concern among nurses. Although it is widely reported that the situation has improved, a year later, a quarter of those polled still say that insufficient supply of PPE was a contributing factor to their poor mental well-being.

Nursing time also asked for advice on the current level of mental health and well-being support available to all health and social workers. Worryingly, the results were slightly worse than last year: as an example, 62% said that the support provided at the national level was “insufficient” or “very insufficient” – up from 54% in 2020. Meanwhile , the number who said support was “good” “Very good” – only 10% – remained almost the same as last year.

“It is absolutely not acceptable that the staff who have worked tirelessly before and during this pandemic are so terribly under-supported”

Imogen Landers

The situation was not better at the level of the employer: 57% judged the level of assistance provided locally as “insufficient” or “very insufficient”, against 50% in 2020, while only 13% judged it “Good” or “very good”. – the same as last year.

About 40% had received support from a supervisor or colleague and felt it helped. However, more than a third said they needed support but did not feel able to ask for it and 13% had asked for it but did not receive it. This was echoed by one respondent who warned that “a lot of nurses fall through the net”.

Overall, respondent feedback suggested there was more emphasis on staff well-being than a year ago, but nurses struggled to find the time to access available support and that some of them were lip service. A nurse at the hospital said, “We are constantly being told that we need to rest, get support, relax, take a break from it all – and yet we don’t have time to do just that.”

A community nurse added, “I rush through emails that talk about staff well-being because I don’t have time to go through my emails like I used to.” Another respondent said that while support was available it was “sporadic and, frankly, a checkbox exercise for managers to say they offered help.”

Throughout the pandemic, a range of helplines have been set up to support staff well-being, and some organizations have created designated wellness rooms, or “wobbles,” to allow staff to take a break. But a nurse reported that she was often unable to use these rooms due to time constraints, understaffing and lack of changing rooms or toilets.

From the survey results, it was clear that the preferred type of support was one-on-one in-person contact with a mental health professional (53%). Meanwhile, 40% felt that informal peer support from their colleagues would be beneficial. In contrast, only 23% voted for a hotline, 21% for online support and 16% for video calls.

Worryingly, a common theme in the survey was that nurses felt pushed to their limits and wanted to leave the profession altogether – a constant concern in recent months, especially amid the winter peak of Covid-19 cases.

Several nurses cited the lack of support as driving them away; these included one who said they were ‘falling apart’ and another who had worked for the NHS for 25 years but now needed to ‘do something completely different’ after what they had been through for the pandemic.

A nursing home nurse described the past 12 months as “the worst year of my 44 years in nursing.” They felt “physically, emotionally and mentally exhausted” which was compounded by fear of another outbreak of Covid-19. “If I could afford it, I would give up nursing because this year is almost over,” they said.

A key observation came from a hospital nurse who believed the pandemic had highlighted the fact that mental health and well-being had been an issue for a long time. “A lot of nurses have mental health issues and high levels of anxiety, but it’s in our nature to put the needs of patients first,” they said. “The pandemic has made it clear that we are exhausted and exhausted, and that staff are now at breaking point, so either call for help or go.”

Responding to the survey, Rebecca Smith, chief executive of NHS Employers, which represents the trusts and is part of the NHS Confederation, said the findings “expose the painful consequences of the pandemic on the well-being of our workforce “. She pointed to a recent report from the NHS Confederation which warned that the health service “could lose thousands of employees” if it did not have “enough time and space to recover” from the pandemic. Ms Smith pledged that her organization would work to ensure staff were “properly supported”.

The Laura Hyde Foundation, a charity that provides mental health support to clinical staff, was “disappointed, but sadly not surprised” with our results.

“For over 60% of those surveyed, the feeling that the current supply of national mental health and wellness support is inadequate is shocking and requires immediate attention,” said Imogen Landers, administrator of the Charity association. “It is absolutely not acceptable that the staff who have worked tirelessly before and during this pandemic are so woefully under-supported.”

Donna Kinnair

Dame Donna Kinnair, Executive Director and Secretary General of the Royal College of Nursing, added: “The unprecedented demand for nurses during the pandemic is having a huge impact on their own well-being. It is essential that support is available where and when needed, and that managers encourage and support staff to seek help. “

Sara Gorton, head of health at Unison, said: “Health workers have gone out of their way to take care of people during the pandemic, but, a year later, there is still no relief in sight.

Sara gorton

“The demands on NHS workers are relentless – hospitals are still treating coronavirus patients, while also dealing with the backlog of canceled treatments and the roll-out of the vaccination program.

“Many employees are on the verge of burnout. They should have access to 24-hour wellness helplines, as well as on-site mental health teams to help them cope with the trauma of the past 12 months.

A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Welfare said they were “extremely grateful for the efforts of nurses” and that supporting their mental health and well-being was a “top priority”. They urged “anyone who is struggling” to “come forward” and access support.