The impact of Long COVID, work stress related to infectious diseases, fatigue, and coping on burnout among care providers in nursing home: A cross-sectional correlation study

Abstract

Purpose: An increasing number of nursing home are being established because of the increased demand for treatment and care of older adults with chronic diseases related to population aging. This study aimed to examine the impact of Long COVID, infectious diseases-related to work stress, fatigue, and coping on burnout among care providers in nursing home during the persistent COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A total of 168 care providers, including nurses, nursing assistants, and caregivers working in nursing home between July 22 and August 12, 2022 were polled by a questionnaire survey. The collected data were analyzed using an independent t-test, one-way analysis of variance, Scheffé test, Pearson correlation coefficient, and multiple regression analyses via SPSS 21.0. Results: The prevalence of Long COVID-19 among care providers in nursing home was 85.7%, with a mean burnout score of 2.59 out of 5. Work stress related to infectious diseases (β=.27, p=.002) and infection control fatigue (e.g., fatigue related to complexity of nursing duties and shortage in employees [β=.51, p=.019], conflicts caused by uncertain situations and a lack of support [β=.50, p=.012]) were the variables that significantly associated with burnout. Conclusion: It is crucial to actively explore strategies for reducing overall work stress, anxiety, and fatigue, particularly related to infection management to alleviate burnout among care providers in nursing home. Our findings provide fundamental data for the development of interventions and policies to prevent care providers’ burnout, thus enabling the provision of high-quality care in nursing home.