LAUSR

As the world approaches the 1-year mark of the COVID pandemic, more discussion is emerging about the concept of COVID fatigue and its effect on the population and, specifically, nurses. This editorial addresses COVID fatigue, defines the effect, and offers some suggestions for ameliorating the ongoing stress we are all experiencing in our personal and work lives. It also addresses the suggested cyclical nature of coping as it applies to the pandemic. It concludes with suggestions for managing the stress of quarantine and pandemic. How can COVID fatigue be defined? Alharbi et al. (2019) note that burnout is not simply the process of being overworked but is a measurable condition that takes a heavy personal toll on health care providers. COVID fatigue, like burnout, takes a similar personal toll that includes feelings of personal isolation, use of adverse coping methods, turnover in jobs, and lower morale. Portnoy (2011) notes that burnout is linked to situations where nurses believe their actions will not make a difference. This is especially applicable to critically ill COVID patients who might face long hospitalizations and ultimately not survive. Health care workers, and specifically nurses, must “continue to balance these existing obstacles to wellness while facing the unique challenges of a pandemic” (Shreffler et al., 2020, p. 1060). These researchers note that there are layers of stress involved in caring for patients infected with COVID, involving finances, personal and family health, and care responsibilities. They urge the development of organizational strategies to mitigate the adverse effects involved with being a health care provider during the pandemic. Many psychiatric nurses are not providing direct intensive care to COVID patients, but they are dealing with the long-term effects on families and individuals coping with illness, loss, and dramatic change in lifestyle due to quarantine. At the same time, they are dealing with the same stresses in their personal lives. Past research involving the SARS pandemic showed that longer durations of quarantine resulted in poorer mental health (Hawryluck et al., 2004; Reynolds et al., 2008). One study cited that individuals quarantined for more than 10 days showed significantly higher posttraumatic stress symptoms than those quarantined for less than 10 days (Hawryluck et al., 2004). What does this say about the lengthy quarantine world populations have endured during this pandemic? How much greater are the emotional effects including anger, trauma, and depression? Those studies will likely emerge in future research and will need years to fully capture the effect of this pandemic on world populations. At what point does quarantine and the associated restrictions become the norm de rigor in day-to-day functioning? What impact does this have on caregivers, quarantined in their personal life and coping with demands of very ill patients at work? A qualitative study of nurses in China caring for COVID patients revealed four predominant themes from interviews with participants: