System Maintenance Notice

Please note that maintenance work is scheduled between 4 AM and 5 AM - CET. During this time, you may experience reduced performance. Thanks for your patience.

Publications

Journal Article Epublish

PubMed: 42502376 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijnsa.2026.100614

Changes in nurses' quality of work life prior to and during COVID: A repeated cross-sectional analysis.

Int J Nurs Stud Adv 11:100614

Authors: Isaiah Hipel, Janice Keefe, Amber Duynisveld, Yuting Song, Yinfei Duan, Carole A Estabrooks, Peter G Norton, Priscilla Packiam, Janet Squires

Affiliations

  • Mount Saint Vincent University, 166 Bedford Highway, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3M 2J6, Canada. Saint Mary's University, 923 Robie St, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 3C3, Canada.
  • Mount Saint Vincent University, 166 Bedford Highway, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3M 2J6, Canada.
  • Qingdao University, 08 Ning Xia Lu, Laoshan District, Qingdao, Shandong, 266071, China. University of Alberta, 16 St & 85 Ave, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2R3, Canada.
  • University of Alberta, 16 St & 85 Ave, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2R3, Canada.
  • University of Calgary, 2500 University Dr NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada.
  • University of Ottawa, 75 Laurier Ave E, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada.

Abstract

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound impact on nurses in Long Term Care settings, who are responsible for resident care, clinical leadership, and staff training. These nurses face challenges such as supporting residents with complex health conditions, high workloads, and staffing shortages- challenges that intensified during the pandemic. Research suggests that these factors have affected nurses' well-being, and the quality of care provided to residents.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to compare nurses' (RNs/LPNs) quality of work life before and after the pandemic, focusing on changes in work-related stress, burnout, and well-being.

METHODS

We conducted a repeated cross-sectional analysis of data from a stratified random sample of 39 urban Long Term Care homes in Anonymized and Anonymized that are part of the Translating Research into Elder Care Program. Data were collected pre pandemic (February 2020) and during the pandemic (December 2021), with only homes participating in both waves included. Two-level random-intercept regression models were used, adjusting for demographics and Long Term Care home characteristics. A total of 389 and 430 nurses completed surveys in 2020 and 2021, respectively.

RESULTS

The 2021 sample reported working significantly more hours (B = .04, p<.001), with increased emotional exhaustion (B = 0.17, p = .038, 95% CI: 0.09, 0.32), a key component of burnout, and a small but significant decline in mental health (B = -0.03, p = .007, 95% CI: -0.05, -0.01). Another component of burnout, cynicism, was significantly lower during the pandemic (B = -0.28, p<.001, 95% CI: -0.42, -0.14). No significant changes were observed in job satisfaction, professional efficacy, or physical health.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite rising emotional exhaustion and declining mental health, cynicism did not follow the pattern expected under crisis conditions, suggesting that components of burnout may respond differently to pandemic stressors. Our findings have implications for supporting Long Term Care nurses through targeted interventions, particularly in managing workloads and mental health.

MeSH

Nurses, Cross-Sectional Studies, Stress, Physiological, Workload, Work, Pandemics, Burnout, Psychological, Mental Health, Emotional Exhaustion