Aim To explore the work experience of clinical first‐line nurses treating patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19). Background COVID‐19 has been listed as an international public health emergency. Clinical first‐line nurses are at a high risk of infection, and they face a lack of experience and inadequate preparation for COVID‐19, leading to physical and psychological disorders. Methods A qualitative study was conducted from January to February, 2020 at a COVID‐19‐designated hospital in Wuhan, China. Thirty nurses were selected for the study using a purposive sampling method. Data were collected by semi‐structured interviews and analyzed using content analysis. Results Two main categories were defined in the study from the perspective of nurses: negative experiences during clinical first‐line work and positive impacts of clinical first‐line work. Under the first category, two subcategories were included: psychological experiences of clinical first‐line work and difficulties faced during clinical first‐line work. The analysis further yielded two subcategories for the second category: the needs of clinical first‐line work and the impact of clinical first‐line work on professional attitudes. Conclusions The results demonstrate that success depends upon strengthening emergency training and knowledge of infectious diseases for nurses, providing adequate protective equipment, and improving the emergency response plans of hospitals for public health emergencies. Implications for nursing management It is believed that our findings will guide hospital managers to make improvements in personal, administrative, and institutional areas, and that they will provide a reference and inspiration for nurses with regard to public health emergencies in the future.

Aims: To investigate the mental workload level of nurses aiding the most affected area during the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic and explore the subtypes of nurses regarding their mental workload.Design: Cross‐sectional study.Methods: A sample of 446 frontline nurses participated from March 8 to 19, 2020. A latent profile analysis was performed to identify clusters based on the six subscales of the Chinese version of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Task Load Index. The differences among the classes and the variables including sociodemographic characteristics, psychological capital and coping style were explored.Results: The level of mental workload indicates that the nurses had high self‐evaluations of their performance while under extremely intensive task loads. The following three latent subtypes were identified: ‘low workload & low self‐evaluation’ (8.6%); ‘medium workload & medium self‐evaluation’ (35.3%) and ‘high workload & high self‐evaluation’ (56.1%) (Classes 1, 2, and 3, respectively). Nurses with shared accommodations, fewer years of practice, junior professional titles, lower incomes, nonmanagement working positions, lower psychological capital levels and negative coping styles had a higher likelihood of belonging to Class 1. In contrast, senior nurses with higher psychological capital and positive coping styles were more likely to belong to Classes 2 and 3.Conclusion: The characteristics of the ‘low workload & low self‐evaluation’ subtype suggest that attention should be paid to the work pressure and psychological well‐being of junior nurses. Further research on regular training program of public health emergency especially for novices is needed. Personnel management during public health events should be focused on the allocation between novice and senior frontline nurses.Impact: This study addresses the level of mental workload of frontline nurses who aid in the most severe area of the COVID‐19 pandemic in China and delineates the characteristics of the subtypes of these nurses.

Objective: To assess post-traumatic growth (PTG) level and explore its influence factors among frontline nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods: From April 11th to 12th, 2020, a cross sectional study was conducted on 116 frontline nurses who had participated in fight against the COVID-19 in Wuhan city, China. General information and psychological discomfort were collected. Chinese version post-traumatic growth inventory with 20 items was applied to assess PTG level. Univariable analyses and multiple linear regression were performed to explore potential influencing factors of PTGI score.Results: The average score of PTGI in frontline nurses was 65.65 ± 11.50. In univariable analyses, gender, age, education level, marital status, living with parents, professional title, working years and professional psychological support was not statistically associated with the PTGI score. In both univariable and multivariable analyses, having support from family members and friends, being psychological comfort and having children and increased the PTGI score significantly. The three factors only explained 3.8% variance.Conclusion: Moderate PGT was observed in the frontline nurses who had battled against COVID-19. Social support and professional psychological intervention should be applied to further improve PTG level. Further studies with large sample size are required to explore more potential influencing factors.

Objective: The objective of this review was to provide a comprehensive summary and analysis of the risk factors associated with suicidal ideation among cancer patients.Methods: This review adhered to the PICO/S framework and guidelines outlined in the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) framework (PROSPERO CRD42023433639). We searched Web of Science, PubMed, Embase, Scopus, PsycINFO, and Cochrane Library from the establishment date of the databases until June 9, 2023 for observational studies that reveal risk factors associated with suicidal ideation among cancer patients. Software Review Manager 5 (vision 5.4) was used for Meta-analyses.Results: 4,921 studies were obtained through the search of the databases, 40 of which were eligible. Meta-analysis revealed that suicidal ideation in cancer patients was significantly associated with marital status, living alone, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), panic disorder, education, psychiatric illness history, social functioning, childhood adversity experience, financial problems, pain, depression, demoralization, vomiting, residence and anxiety.Conclusion: Being unmarried, living alone, less educated, living in rural, financial problems, pain, vomiting, PTSD, psychiatric illness history, lower social functioning, childhood adversity experience, anxiety, depression, demoralization, panic disorder were risk factors for suicidal ideation among cancer patients. This review provided evidence-based information for identifying and reducing the risk of suicide in cancer survivors.Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/, CRD42023433639.

Aims To qualitatively explore potential experience among frontline nurses who had been fighting against the COVID-19 infection since the outbreak. Background Disasters are often sudden and uncertain. Since the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan city, local frontline nurses had been responsible for treatment of COVID-19 for several months. Qualitative study was required to assess complex multi-component psychological experiences among frontline nurses. Methods 20 local frontline nurses were recruited from a designated hospital of COVID-19 treatment. We conducted semi-structured interview using phenomenological method. Descriptive phenomenological method was applied for thematic analysis. Results 20 female front-line nurses (aged 24 to 43 years old) were interviewed. Two broader themes, negative and positive, were identified. Negative experience included refusal and helpless (refusal to work at frontline, shortage of confidence in working and helpless), fear and anxiety, excessive miss, and other health issues. Positive experience included improved interpersonal relationship, sublimation of personal faith and strength, changes in understanding meaning of life and new possibility. Conclusion Both positive and negative psychological response were observed, which can provide evidence based clues for making essential strategies and policy. Implications for Nursing Management Understand subjective experience of frontline nurses can establish evidence for development of effective psychological intervention. Nursing administrator should consider the nurses’ psychological experience comprehensively to promote psychological growth and lower post-traumatic psychological burden.