Nurses often experience work-related physical and mental fatigue. This study sought to identify the levels of physical and mental fatigue present among Korean female nurses and discern factors influencing their onset. This cross-sectional study analyzed data from the Korea Nurses’ Health Study (KNHS). A total of 14,839 hospital nurses were assessed by hierarchical regression analysis. The mean scores of physical and mental fatigue were 12.57 and 5.79 points, respectively. After adjusting for confounding variables, the work department had a significant influence on both physical and mental fatigue, that is, nurses working in special care units experienced greater degrees of both physical and mental fatigue than those working in general units. Nurse fatigue is an important consideration to monitor to ensure nurses’ continued wellbeing as well as good patient safety levels. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a strategy to mitigate nursing fatigue while considering the characteristics of specific departments. In nursing practice, the introduction of a counseling program and guarantee of rest time that can alleviate the mental and physical fatigue of nurses working in special care units should be considered.

Aim: To identify the factors affecting fear, anxiety and depressive symptoms among frontline nurses working with COVID‐19 patients or are in charge of COVID‐19 screening in Korea.Background: Nurses are at a higher risk of COVID‐19 infection because they are in closer, longer‐duration contact with patients. These situations can negatively affect the mental health of nurses.Methods: This study analysed data from COVID‐19 module in the Korean Nurses’ Health Study. Data from 906 participants were analysed. To identify the factors influencing mental health, descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation and hierarchical multiple regression analyses were performed.Results: Caring for patients who are COVID‐19‐positive increased levels of fear, anxiety and depressive symptoms of nurses. The hospital safety climate influenced mental well‐being among nurses.Conclusion: Caring for patients with COVID‐19 had a negative impact on fear, anxiety and depressive symptoms. However, the higher was the perceived hospital safety climate, the lower were the nurses’ psychological symptoms. Further research on the mental health of nurses is warranted.Implications for nursing and health policy: Institutions should manage human resources to enable periodic rotation of nurses’ work and working periods related to COVID‐19. In addition, hospital managers should provide sufficient personal protective equipment, related education, and safety climate.

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is an important public health problem, and unhealthy dietary habits and shift work are considered major factors that increase the prevalence of MetS. The purpose of this study was to examine whether dietary habits, alcohol drinking, and shift-working were associated with development of MetS in shift-working female nurses. This study analyzed cross-sectional survey data from the Korea Nurses’ Health Study (KNHS). Of the 1638 nurses, 403 participants were selected based on the propensity score matching method (PSM). These participants had either no or more than three MetS determinant factors. Analysis was conducted by using multivariable logistic regression to confirm the factors influencing MetS. The prevalence of MetS in this group (1638 participants) was 5.6% (92 participants). Consumption of over 50% of daily calorie intake after 7 p.m., consumption of carbonated drinks, family history of diabetes, and non-shift work were significant factors influencing MetS. Nurses are one of the at-risk groups for unhealthy dietary habits due to the nature of their work. Therefore, nurse managers should include regular dietary education for nurses and continue their policy efforts to resolve health problems that may arise in connection with nurses’ work.

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a common chronic disease that negatively affects physical and mental health. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of allergic rhinitis on sleep, fatigue, and depressive symptoms among Korean female nurses. This was a cross-sectional study conducted using data from the Korea Nurses’ Health Study (KNHS), and a total of 8645 female nurses was selected for the final analysis. The demographic characteristics, Body Mass Index, alcohol consumption, shift work, comorbidities (atopic dermatitis and asthma), self-rated health, sleep disturbance (Jenkins Sleep Questionnaire), fatigue (Chalder Fatigue Scale), and depressive symptoms (Perceived Health Questionnaire-9) were collected. The data were analyzed using chi-square tests, t-tests, and hierarchical multiple regression analyses. Participants with allergic rhinitis had significantly greater sleep disturbance, fatigue, and depressive symptoms than those without allergic rhinitis, and allergic rhinitis was a significant factor influencing sleep disturbance and fatigue among the participants after controlling for confounding variables. Therefore, it is imperative to develop effective interventions to manage allergic rhinitis symptoms and improve sleep and fatigue in affected nurses.

Although the prevalence of atopic dermatitis is high in nurses, there is a lack of research on the relationship between atopic dermatitis and depressive symptoms and sleep disturbance among female nurses. This study aimed to determine the effects of atopic dermatitis on depressive symptoms and sleep disturbance in female nurses. We analyzed the data of the Korea Nurses’ Health Study, a large-scale prospective cohort study. A total of 20,613 female hospital nurses aged 20–45 years who participated in the Module 1 of Korea Nurses’ Health Study between July 2013 and November 2014 were included. The chi-square test, t-test, and multivariate ordinal logistic regression analysis were conducted for statistical analysis. The prevalence of atopic dermatitis among female nurses was 11.6%. The levels of depressive symptoms and sleep disturbance were higher in nurses with atopic dermatitis than those without atopic dermatitis. Nurses with atopic dermatitis were 1.16 times more likely to have depressive symptoms and 1.35 times more likely to have sleep disturbance than those without atopic dermatitis after adjusting for confounding variables. The results of this study suggest that additional support should be considered for nurses with atopic dermatitis to improve the occupational environment for managing and preventing the exacerbation of symptoms.