Factors associated with nurses’ physical and psychological quality of life during the COVID-19 pandemic: a multicentre analytical cross-sectional study

Abstract Background COVID-19 has posed unprecedented challenges to healthcare systems worldwide and has adversely affected nurses’ well-being. Although many studies have examined nurses’ mental health and both professional quality of life (ProQOL) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) during the pandemic, multicentre analyses that simultaneously model physical and psychological quality of life (QoL) domains, with comprehensive adjustment for individual- and organisational-level variables, remain scarce. A more holistic understanding of the factors associated with nurses’ QoL is needed to inform targeted interventions. We aimed to examine associations between perceived stress, resilience, social and organisational support, satisfaction with work quality, and nurses’ physical and psychological QoL during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods This multicentre analytical cross-sectional study was conducted in Switzerland, France, Canada (Québec) and Portugal in autumn 2021. Data were collected using an online self-administered questionnaire administered via Sphinx IQ2 software. Physical and psychological QoL and the independent variables of interest were measured using validated instruments. We used linear regression to examine associations between variables. Results Higher perceived stress was consistently associated with lower physical and psychological QoL across all countries. Greater social support and resilience were associated with better psychological QoL in each country. In descriptive analyses, nurses in Switzerland reported the highest QoL scores, whereas those in France reported the lowest. Conclusions These findings underline the importance of addressing perceived stress and strengthening psychosocial resources (including social support and resilience) to support nurses’ QoL during public health emergencies. Healthcare institutions should consider stress-management and resilience-building initiatives and foster supportive work environments. Longitudinal studies are needed to clarify temporal relationships and inform context-sensitive interventions. Clinical trial number Not applicable.