Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Working in the state of a pandemic is a huge mental load for the medical environment. AIM: Evaluation of emotional control among nurses against work conditions and the support received during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The research was performed among nurses (n = 577) working during the pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus in infectious (n = 201) and non-infectious (n = 376) wards in 11 Polish hospitals. To evaluate work conditions, the questionnaire prepared by the authors and the Emotional Control Scale (Courtauld Emotional Control Scale-CECS), which rates the control of anger, depression, and fear were used. RESULTS: In the entire research group, fear had the highest rate of suppression among the negative emotions-18.25 points, 17.91 points in infectious wards and 18.44 points among nurses working in non-infectious wards; p > 0.05. The nurses fear was significantly repressed when there was no possibility of the nurses having to perform a COVID-19 test in the workplace; p < 0.05. A larger emotional supressed occurred in nurses who simultaneously declared the perception of increased stress level; p < 0.05. CONCLUSIONS: A high level of emotion suppression, especially regarding fear, combined with higher stress levels, occurring irrespective of the ward, points at the need for mental support for the researched nurses.