Work stress and perceived organisational support on young Korean nurses’ care for COVID-19 patients

BACKGROUND: Since the outbreak of COVID-19 worldwide, frontline nurses have faced tremendous stress. Younger nurses in their early-to-mid careers can be more exposed to burnout and work stress, and perceived organisational support can influence the quality of nursing care for vulnerable patients. AIM: To identify the impact of younger nurses’ work stress and perceived organisational support on their willingness to care for COVID-19 patients. METHODS: The cross-sectional secondary data analysis included 211 hospital nurses (<35 years) in South Korea with a mean age of 24.60 years (SD=1.90). Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to identify the factors influencing willingness to care. FINDINGS: Supplying personal protective equipment, training in the use of personal protective equipment, lower work stress, and positive perceptions of organisational support significantly increased early-career nurses’ willingness to care. For mid-career nurses, being male and higher work stress significantly increased their willingness to care. DISCUSSION: Support, including COVID-19-related education or training, should be provided to reduce work stress arising from being exposed to infection or while providing care to critically ill patients, especially among early-career nurses. Support from nurse managers, senior staff, and colleagues could help younger nurses cope better with the challenges of COVID-19, thus increasing their willingness to care. CONCLUSION: Perceived organisational support may facilitate early-career nurses’ organisational commitment. Healthy work environments can relieve early-to-mid-career nurses’ work stress, thus facilitating patient-centred care.