Aim: This current study examined the mediation roles of burnout and job stress in the association between fear of COVID-19 and mental health among emergency nurses.
Design: Cross-sectional survey.
Methods: A total of 516 emergency nurses with a mean age of 41.18 (SD = 8.24), mostly females (76.16%) and married (78.9%) responded to measures on fear of COVID-19, burnout, job stress and mental health between 15 September and 7 November 2020.
Results: There was a significantly direct effect between (a) fear of COVID-19 and mental health, (b) fear of COVID-19 and mediators (burnout and job stress) and (c) mediators (burnout and job stress) and mental health. Also, there was a significantly indirect effect between fear of COVID-19 and mental health through job stress, burnout or both.
Conclusions: Fear of COVID-19 directly and indirectly influenced the mental health of emergency nurses. Therefore, hospital authorities should provide sufficient resources to allay the fears of nurses during this COVID-19 pandemic period.
Keywords: burnout; fear of COVID-19; job stress; mediation; mental health; nurse.
© 2021 The Authors. Nursing Open published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.