ABSTRACT

Background: COVID-19 epidemic as a public health emergency, which can lead to significant losses and disruption of the economic and social situation, has caused a great deal of concern and stress in communities and can significantly affect the mental health of health care workers who are at the forefront of this crisis. Nurses play a key role in responding to public health in the face of this crisis. The purpose of this study is to consolidate the available evidence on the effects and psychological problems of nurses during the outbreak of Covid-19.

Methods: A systematic search was performed on the databases of Web of Science, PubMed, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library, ProQuest, and Science Direct. All studies that addressed the "psychological challenges of nurses in the face of the Covid 19 pandemic" from different perspectives were included in the study.

Results: Fourteen studies were reviewed. The most common psychological disorders in nurses exposed to the Covid-19 pandemic were anxiety and depression. Female nurses showed more psychological effects than male nurses and physicians, respectively. Nurses working in the emergency, infectious and intensive care units also experience more psychological challenges.

Conclusion: Evidence suggests that a significant proportion of nurses in this outbreak suffer from a kind of psychological disorders; and these symptoms emphasize the need to find ways to reduce mental health risks and adjust their workload in the event of a serious infectious disease epidemic.

Keyword: Coronavirus, Covid 19, Nurses, Mental Health, Psychological Problems.