Aims: To examine the association of the working stress with posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms (PTSD), and burnout as the mediator for this association among emergency nurses during COVID-19 pandemic.
Design: Longitudinal survey study.
Methods: Online survey was used to collect data during the period from August to November 2020 with a sample of 169 emergency nurses. They were invited to complete the following questionnaires at the 6th and 9th months after COVID-19 outbreak: Posttraumatic Symptom Scale (PTSS-10), the emergency nurses' COVID-19 stress questionnaire and Chinese version of 21-item Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI).
Results: During the 3-month follow-up, there were no changes in the number of suspected PTSD cases (6 and above symptoms): 41% at the 6th month and 33.3% at the 9th month. The increases of the personal burnout levels and living apart from families were the main factors associated with the PTSD symptoms. The risk for emergency nurses suffering from PTSD is through stress levels increasing their burnout levels.
Conclusions: Over 30 percent of emergency nurses remained at high risk for suspected PTSD. The burnout levels mediated the relationship between the stress levels and the risks of PTSD.
Impact: Little as know about the impact of COVID-19 on emergency nurses' stress. This study found emergency nurses remained to be the high risk for the suspected PTSD cases. It is urged to develop a stress-reduction program targeting at causes of stress and improving burnout for emergency nurses during COVID-19 pandemic.