The Nurses Are Not Alright


 
14.5k
Shares
 

By Shannon Firth

One in four nurses have sought mental health support since March 2020, according to a survey of the pandemic's impact on the profession.

Of 22,000 nurses surveyed, 24% reported that they sought mental health services since the pandemic started last March. For those younger than 34, this percentage rose to 36%.

More than half of the nurses who responded to the survey reported exhaustion, just over a third were "anxious or unable to relax," and slightly less than a quarter reported "feeling depressed" in the 14 days prior to completing the survey.

Four in 10 nurses under age 34 said they were depressed, isolated, or lonely, and nearly half acknowledged a "desire to quit" in those 14 days prior to the survey.

Mental Health Challenges

Notably, more than half of those surveyed who were younger than 34 disagreed or strongly disagreed with the statement "My employer values my mental health."

"These are people who have sustained exhaustion and trauma" and witnessed "an unquantifiable amount of suffering and death" in a very short time, Kate Judge, said in an interview during which a press relations person was present.

"There's no unseeing and unliving what they lived," she said, and the impact of those experiences still isn't clear.

Of nurses under age 34, 3% reported feeling suicidal in the prior 14 days, she noted.


 
14.5k
Shares
 

COMMENTS

  • Carla Mcdermott

    March 24, 2021 13:52 47

    Your message Thank you for considering the nurses. One group your survey might not have captured are the nurses who put their families first and dropped out having faith in the scientific predictions, That decision was fueled by the belief that my facility would not have the required resources to care for the victims. Even though it all came to pass, I have felt like a traitor to my professions and my friends. Yes, some days suicide felt like an option, but my family won out. I still grieve, because I am still here, loving and caring for my family.

  • Carla Mcdermott

    March 24, 2021 13:52 15

    Your message Thank you for considering the nurses. One group your survey might not have captured are the nurses who put their families first and dropped out having faith in the scientific predictions, That decision was fueled by the belief that my facility would not have the required resources to care for the victims. Even though it all came to pass, I have felt like a traitor to my professions and my friends. Yes, some days suicide felt like an option, but my family won out. I still grieve, because I am still here, loving and caring for my family.

Articles in this issue:

Leave a Comment

Please keep in mind that all comments are moderated. Please do not use a spam keyword or a domain as your name, or else it will be deleted. Let's have a personal and meaningful conversation instead. Thanks for your comments!

*This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.