References

All-Party Parliamentary Group on Arts, Health and Wellbeing. Creative health: the arts for health and wellbeing. 2017. https://tinyurl.com/yxmc69ez (accessed 13 November 2020)

Chan AOM, Huak CY. Psychological impact of the 2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome outbreak on health care workers in a medium size regional general hospital in Singapore. Occup Med (Chic Ill).. 2004; 54:(3)190-196 https://doi.org/10.1093/occmed/kqh027

Fessell D, Cherniss C. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and beyond: micropractices for burnout prevention and emotional wellness. J Am Coll Radiol.. 2020; 17:(6)746-748 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacr.2020.03.013

Forsyth C, Mason B. Shared leadership and group identification in healthcare: the leadership beliefs of clinicians working in interprofessional teams. J Interprof Care.. 2017; 31:(3)291-299 https://doi.org/10.1080/13561820.2017.1280005

Grafton E, Gillespie B, Henderson S. Resilience: the power within. Oncol Nurs Forum.. 2010; 37:(6)698-705 https://doi.org/10.1188/10.ONF.698-705

Hou T, Zhang T, Cai W Social support and mental health among health care workers during Coronavirus Disease 2019 outbreak: A moderated mediation model. PLoS One.. 2020; 15:(5) https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0233831

Intensive Care Society. Wellbeing resource library. 2020. https://tinyurl.com/wellbeing-ics (accessed 12 November 2020)

Jackson D, Firtko A, Edenborough M. Personal resilience as a strategy for surviving and thriving in the face of workplace adversity: a literature review. J Adv Nurs.. 2007; 60:(1)1-9 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2648.2007.04412.x

Jackson J, Vandall-Walker V, Vanderspank-Wright B, Wishart P, Moore SL. Burnout and resilience in critical care nurses: A grounded theory of Managing Exposure. Intensive Crit Care Nurs.. 2018; 48:28-35 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iccn.2018.07.002

Joob B, Wiwanitkit V. Traumatization in medical staff helping with COVID-19 control. Brain Behav Immun.. 2020; 87 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2020.03.020

The King's Fund. Responding to stress experienced by hospital staff working with Covid-19. 2020. https://tinyurl.com/kings-covid-stress (accessed 12 November 2020)

Lehmann M, Bruenahl C, Addo M Acute Ebola virus disease patient treatment and health-related quality of life in health care professionals: a controlled study. J Psychosom Res.. 2016; 83:69-74 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2015.09.002

Liang Y, Chen M, Zheng X, Liu J. Screening for Chinese medical staff mental health by SDS and SAS during the outbreak of COVID-19. J Psychosom Res.. 2020; 133 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2020.110102

Martin-Soelch C, Schnyder U. Editorial: Resilience and vulnerability factors in response to stress. Front Psychiatry.. 2019; 10 https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00732

Maunder RG, Lancee WJ, Balderson KE Long-term psychological and occupational effects of providing hospital healthcare during SARS outbreak. Emerg Infect Dis.. 2006; 12:(12)1924-32 https://doi.org/10.3201/eid1212.060584

Mealer M, Hodapp R, Conrad D, Dimidjian S, Rothbaum B, Moss M. Designing a resilience program for critical care nurses. AACN Adv Crit Care.. 2017; 28:(4)359-365 https://doi.org/10.4037/aacnacc2017252

NHS Digital. NHS workforce. 2020. https://tinyurl.com/y6r7bgp5 (accessed 13 November 2020)

NHS Improvement, NHS England. Workforce race equality standard. An overview of workforce data for nurses, midwives and health visitors in the NHS. 2019. https://tinyurl.com/y6tey64c (accessed 13 November 2020)

Paladino L, Sharpe RP, Galwankar SC Reflections on the Ebola public health emergency of international concern, part 2: the unseen epidemic of posttraumatic stress among health-care personnel and survivors of the 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak. J Glob Infect Dis.. 2017; 9:(2)45-50 https://doi.org/10.4103/jgid.jgid_24_17

Royal College of Nursing. COVID-19 (coronavirus) and your mental wellbeing. 2020. https://tinyurl.com/RCN-covid-MH (accessed 12 November 2020)

Schreiber M, Cates D, Formanski S, King M. Maximizing the resilience of healthcare workers in multi-hazard events: lessons from the 2014–2015 Ebola response in Africa. Mil Med.. 2019; 184:114-120 https://doi.org/10.1093/milmed/usy400

Su TP, Lien TC, Yang CY Prevalence of psychiatric morbidity and psychological adaptation of the nurses in a structured SARS caring unit during outbreak: a prospective and periodic assessment study in Taiwan. J Psychiatr Res.. 2007; 41:(1-2)119-130 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2005.12.006

Tam C, Pang E, Lam L, Chiu H. Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in Hong Kong in 2003: stress and psychological impact among frontline healthcare workers. Psychol Med.. 2004; 34:(7)1197-1204 https://doi.org/10.1017/s0033291704002247

An investigation into compassion fatigue and self-compassion in acute medical care hospital nurses: a mixed methods study. Journal of Compassionate Health Care. 2018; 5:(7) https://doi.org/10.1186/s40639-018-0050-x

Optimizing resilience and wellbeing for healthcare professions trainees and healthcare professionals during public health crises—practical tips for an ‘integrative resilience’ approach. Med Teach.. 2020; 42:(7)744-755 https://doi.org/10.1080/0142159X.2020.1768230

World Health Organization. Building bridges in preparedness. Report of a stakeholder consultation on national health security and pandemic influenza preparedness pla nning. 2019. https://tinyurl.com/y3ez9ban (accessed 13 November 2020)

Wu P, Fang Y, Guan Z The psychological impact of the SARS epidemic on hospital employees in China: exposure, risk perception, and altruistic acceptance of risk. Can J Psychiatry.. 2009; 54:(5)302-311 https://doi.org/10.1177/070674370905400504

Critical care nursing during the COVID-19 pandemic: a story of resilience

26 November 2020

Focus

02 November 2020

Volume 29 · Issue 21

ISSN (print): 0966-0461

ISSN (online): 2052-2819

Abstract

In this article, an intensive care unit (ICU) nurse provides some reflections on caring for patients with COVID-19 and relates her lived experience to the concept of resilience. Similarities and differences to pre-pandemic understandings of resilience are drawn out and factors that mediate acute stress, resilience and psychological recovery during a pandemic are considered. Resources to support ICU nurses and other healthcare staff to manage stress and promote wellbeing are signposted, and important research directions that warrant attention are recommended. The story is one of learning and hope and, importantly, it captures key lessons that can equip healthcare staff with positive coping strategies in a time of unprecedented pressure.

Resilience is often derived from personal resources, eg personality traits, cognitive abilities and worldviews, and also from environmental resources eg social support systems, cultural practices and spiritual beliefs (Jackson et al, 2007; Martin-Soelch and Schnyder, 2019). In normal circumstances resilience has been defined as:

Interventions to foster the resilience of healthcare staff include variants of cognitive behavioural therapy, physical exercise, developing social support systems and engagement with the arts either as a recipient or artist, eg through written expression (All-Party Parliamentary Group on Arts, Health and Wellbeing (APPG), 2017; Mealer et al, 2017). However, these activities take time and commitment, neither of which is readily available in and out of the workplace during a pandemic. This is particularly so for nurses who have stepped up to intensive care unit (ICU) care from other departments, often in a baptism of fire.

Register now to continue reading

Thank you for visiting British Journal of Nursing and reading some of our peer-reviewed resources for nurses. To read more, please register today. You’ll enjoy the following great benefits:

What's included

Limited access to clinical or professional articles
Unlimited access to the latest news, blogs and video content

Or continue by

Signing in with your registered email address

Intensive care nursing

COVID-19

Coronavirus pandemic

Lived experience

Resilience

Wellbeing resources