Burnout, posttraumatic stress disorder, and sleep quality among nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review

Background and aims: Nurses are in direct contact with healthcare clients. Infectious diseases epidemics, such as the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, cause high levels of stress for nurses. The aim of this study was to evaluate burnout, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and sleep quality (SQ) among nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: In this review, the Google Scholar, PubMed, ISI, Scopus, EMBASE, and Psych INFO databases were searched using the keywords posttraumatic stress disorder , burnout , sleep quality , nurse , mental health , and coronavirus disease 2019 to find relevant studies published in English between May 2020 to July 2021. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement was used to appraise the quality of the retrieved studies. Results: The prevalence rates of burnout, PTSD, and low SQ were 25%–60%, 16%–68%, and 18%–38%, respectively. Nurses’ gender, job satisfaction, affiliated hospital ward, work experience, levels of stress and anxiety, and care provision in the frontline of COVID-19 care affected the prevalence of burnout, PTSD, and low SQ. Conclusion: Burnout, PTSD, and low SQ are highly prevalent among nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Psychological counseling centers in hospitals need to provide nurses with training and counseling about the management of their mental health problems.