Perceived occupational stressors among nurses in a level-1 trauma center under normalized COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control in China: A qualitative study

BACKGROUND: Nurses in trauma centers encounter emergency patients and are exposed to occupational stressors under normalized pandemic control and prevention. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to examine the occupational stressors that nurses perceived during the COVID-19 pandemic in a level-1 trauma center in China. METHODS: From December 2020 to May 2021, a qualitative study was conducted, employing conventional content analysis as the research methodology. A total of twelve nurses were purposefully selected from a trauma center at a major hospital in Beijing to participate in semi-structured interviews (40–50 min’ duration). The data collected in this study were analyzed using the conventional content analysis approach proposed by Graneheim and Lundman. RESULTS: After analyzing the data, two themes emerged: 1) Critical conditions under normalized pandemic prevention and control; 2) Concerns about loved ones and colleagues, along with financial problems. Both these themes further revealed four categories: the complexity and uncertainty of epidemic prevention and health hazards in the former, and concerns for and from families and colleagues, and financial stress in the latter. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study provide valuable insights into the practical implementation of epidemic prevention and control measures in Chinese trauma centers and shed light on the psychological stress faced by nurses. Improving the tripartite support system of hospital, family, and society, and providing emotional support may help reduce stress among nurses, thereby improving their health and care quality.