Professional quality of life and fear of COVID ‐19 among Spanish nurses: A longitudinal repeated cross‐sectional study

Abstract Aim and Objectives To evaluate changes in compassion fatigue (CF), burnout (BO), compassion satisfaction (CS) and fear of COVID‐19 among Spanish nurses by comparing two assessment points: before and after the COVID‐19 vaccination campaign. Background The COVID‐19 pandemic has produced a great impact in healthcare worker's professional quality of life, especially among nurses. CF, BO and fear of COVID‐19 decisively affect the care provided by nurses and put them at risk for mental health problems, so longitudinal studies are essential. Design A repeated cross‐sectional design was carried out with a time‐lapse of 12 months. Methods A total of 439 registered nurses in December 2020 and 410 in December 2021 participated in this study through an online survey. Data were collected using the Professional Quality of Life Questionnaire and the Fear of COVID‐19 Scale. Occupational and sociodemographic variables were also analysed. This article adheres to the STROBE guidelines for the reporting of observational studies. Results The fear of COVID‐19 has not been reduced among nurses. The levels of BO remain stable and continue to be high in half of the professionals. CF has been reduced with a small effect size ( d = 0.30), while CS has also decreased ( d = 0.30). Positive correlations were found in both assessment points between fear of COVID‐19 and BO ( r = .44, p ≤ .001; r = .41, p ≤ .001) and also between fear of COVID and CF ( r = .57, p ≤ .001; r = .50, p ≤ .001). Negative correlations between fear and CS were also found ( r = − .16, p = .001; r = − .22, p ≤ .001). Relevance to Clinical Practice Programmes to reduce fear of COVID‐19, BO and CF are needed to improve mental health and to prevent psychological distress among nurses, as well as to increase CS and preserve the productivity and quality of nursing care. Patient or Public Contribution The nurses collaborated by participating in the present study anonymously and disinterestedly.