We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
Using Heart Rate Variability to Assess Nurses' Stress During the COVID-19 Pandemic.
- Authors
Krieger, Hanna; Rhein, Cosima; Morawa, Eva; Adler, Werner; Steffan, Jan; Lang-Richter, Nadine; Struck, Matthias; Erim, Yesim; Lieb, Marietta
- Abstract
Objective: This study aimed to assess subjective and objective parameters of stress among nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic and to examine the recovery effect of a day off. Methods: In this prospective observational trial, we measured heart rate variability (using a wearable device) and perceived stress levels on 3 working days and 1 day off. We obtained the following data using an online questionnaire: working conditions, COVID-19-related problems, depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9), anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7), effort-reward imbalance, and work-family conflict in a sample of German nurses (N = 41). Results: When comparing working days with a day off, we observed a significant difference for physical load (Cohen's d = 0.798, P <.001), mental load (Cohen's d = 0.660, P =.001), emotional exhaustion (Cohen's d = 0.945, P <.001), and overburdening (Cohen's d = 0.585, P =.002) with higher scores on working days. Regarding heart rate variability, we did not find a difference. Correlational analyses revealed a significant association between being afraid to get infected with COVID-19 and lower heart rate variability (r = −0.336, P =.045) and between being afraid to infect relatives and lower heart rate variability (r = −0.442, P =.007). Furthermore, a higher total sum score of work-family conflict was significantly associated with lower heart rate variability (r = −0.424, P =.01). Conclusion: As heart rate variability observations were different from those regarding subjectively perceived stress, further studies are needed to evaluate and differentiate the influence of work stress and other types of stress on heart rate variability.
- Subjects
GERMANY; FEAR; PEARSON correlation (Statistics); SABBATICAL leave; RESEARCH funding; PSYCHOLOGICAL burnout; ATTITUDES toward illness; FAMILY conflict; ACADEMIC medical centers; MENTAL health; T-test (Statistics); HOSPITAL nursing staff; SCIENTIFIC observation; QUESTIONNAIRES; INDUSTRIAL psychology; WORK-life balance; WORK environment; MULTIPLE regression analysis; WEARABLE technology; INTERNET; DESCRIPTIVE statistics; HEART beat; LONGITUDINAL method; JOB stress; CONVALESCENCE; NURSES' attitudes; STATISTICS; SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC factors; DATA analysis software; COVID-19 pandemic; COVID-19; INDUSTRIAL hygiene
- Publication
Western Journal of Nursing Research, 2024, Vol 46, Issue 7, p492
- ISSN
0193-9459
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1177/01939459241252078