Coping after the COVID-19 pandemic: nurses' learning intent and implications for the workforce and education.

Abstract

Background/aim: Addressing the critical global shortage of nurses requires an understanding of how a global pandemic reshaped nurses' motivations and intentions toward education. This study aimed to describe COVID-19's impact on nurses' intent to pursue additional education.

Method: This descriptive study, based in North Carolina in the USA, used content analysis with an inductive approach to examine the responses of nurses to one open-ended question in a large quantitative workforce survey: how has COVID-19 influenced your plans for future education? Responses were coded with counts and organised into themes and subthemes.

Findings: Primary themes identified from the data included: stressors, appraisals and coping. There were 10 subthemes, which supported primary themes with direct quotes from nurses. The implications of the themes aligns with concepts from the self-determination theory: autonomy, competence and relatedness.

Conclusion: Nurse responses to the pandemic can guide organisations and academic institutions in supporting nurses in times of stress and design programmes that align with their goals. Nursing leaders and educators must support nurses' autonomy, competence and relatedness, addressing issues such as burnout, financial strain, work-life balance and evolving professional demands. Academic institutions should adopt flexible, resilience-focused curricula and invest in skilled nurse educators to support the growing need for advanced education and online learning.