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Introduction: Nurses providing direct care for patients with COVID-19 may be at particular risk for developing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, little is known about how these symptoms are related to workplace and non-workplace impairment. Objective: We examined if PTSD symptoms mediated the relationship between treating patients with COVID-19 and functional impairment. Methods: An online survey collected data regarding demographic and workplace variables, PTSD symptoms, functional impairment, distracted practice, and if the nurse treated patients with confirmed COVID-19. Data collected in November 2020 from 218 primarily White and female nurses were analyzed. We followed the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) guidelines in reporting the methods and results. Results: Analyses involved two steps: (a) calculating descriptive statistics, conducting univariate tests, and examining correlations among study variables; and (b) conducting a path analysis examining the mediating role of PTSD symptoms in the relationship between treating patients with COVID-19 and functional outcomes. Univariate tests found that nurses who had a diploma/associate's/bachelor's and nurses who treated patients with COVID-19 reported more PTSD symptoms, functional impairment, and distracted practice compared to nurses with graduate degrees and those who did not treat patients with COVID-19. Compared to nurses who reported having access to adequate PPE, nurses who reported not having access to adequate PPE reported more PTSD symptoms but lower functional impairment and distracted practice. Men reported lower distracted practice scores than women. In step two of the analyses, the path model suggested that treating patients with COVID-19 was indirectly related to both distracted practice and functional impairment through PTSD symptoms. Conclusion: The probable PTSD symptoms and work- and non-work-related functional impairment of nurses working with patients with COVID-19 highlight the importance of developing interventions that help these essential workers address vulnerabilities associated with working during the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Little research documents the experience of nurses caring for patients with COVID‐19 in the United States. This article explores the experience of nurses providing direct care to COVID‐19 patients to understand the working conditions and emotional impact of working in this pandemic on nurses. Methods: Data were gathered through an online survey distributed via snowball sampling in July 2020. The survey included an open‐ended question asking nurses to describe a personal experience providing care to a COVID‐19 patient. Researchers analyzed 118 responses using content analysis. Results: The experience of nurses providing care to patients with COVID‐19 was summarized into six themes: (1) feeling overwhelmed with the quantity of work (33.1%), (2) patient death (30.5%), (3) helplessness (23.7%), (4) absence of patient family presence and need for additional support (22.9%), (5) personal protective equipment (PPE) concerns regarding safety and how PPE can impair the nursing role (20.3%), and (6) lack of preparedness for the pandemic (16.9%). Conclusions: These findings suggest working directly with COVID‐19 patients is a significant psychological strain on nurses. Adequate personal and institutional support for nurses is needed to prevent and treat mental distress from working under these conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]