Investigating Frontline Nurse Stress: Perceptions of Job Demands, Organizational Support, and Social Support During the Current COVID-19 Pandemic

BACKGROUND: While frontline nurses employ coping alternatives to help deal with occupational stress resulting from unprecedented challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, their access to necessary resources is unclear. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to explore nurses' mental health in Alabama hospitals during the COVID-19 outbreak and investigate the impact of organizational and community support on nurse stressor levels, physio-psychosocial responses, and coping strategies employed. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was developed to bridge our understanding of stress, support, and coping mechanisms and distributed to nurses working with COVID-19-infected patients in hospital settings in Alabama. A total of 232 frontline nurses responded to 79 items in four domains (stressors, physio-psychosocial symptoms, coping, and support) between May 6, 2020, and June 30, 2020. A two-way ANOVA, regression analysis, and mediation of effects were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: This study found that both social support and use of coping strategies contributed to the reduction of physio-psychosocial symptoms. Differences were found in how older frontline nurses perceived the efficacy of social support and certain coping strategies. This study provides further evidence of the importance of organizational support in addressing the harmful physio-psychosocial symptoms experienced by nurses.