Influence of nursing staff working hours on stress levels during the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND: Working as a nurse means being able to provide high-quality care 24/7. Studies have shown that the average number of working hours per week is a significant predictor of stress and that the severity of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has increased the nurses' stress levels. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of the nursing staff's working hours during the COVID-19 pandemic on the perceived level of stress. METHOD: We carried out an online cross-sectional survey and measured the stress level with the perceived stress scale. RESULTS: Most of the nurses experienced a moderate level of stress. We identified a statistically significant association between increased numbers of working hours per week and the nurses' perceived stress level. In addition, 15% of the nurses who had worked more than 40 h reported experiencing a high level of stress. CONCLUSION: These results reflect the negative consequences of prolonged working hours. For this reason, a (inter)national discussion is needed on the topic of restricting the working hours of healthcare workers during such pandemics. This discussion can improve the health and safety of healthcare workers, patients and members of the general population.