Professional Identity and Coping Strategies of Geriatric Nurses in the Face of the Corona Crisis (PICo): Study Protocol of a Mixed Methods Study to Develop Scenic Recommendations

Abstract

Introduction: The tense resource situation in nursing homes became even worse during the Covid-19 pandemic, when geriatric care nurses worked under extremely stressful conditions. Therefore, strategies to reduce stress need to be investigated and supported. This includes coping strategies that people use individually as well as relevant structures that affect the ability to apply coping strategies. The presented project deals with the long-term effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on nursing homes and aims to develop recommendations on how to ensure high-quality care for nursing home residents even under highly stressing situations. Methods and analysis: An exploratory, sequential Mixed Methods design in nursing homes in Germany from February 2023 to January 2026. Participants are geriatric nurses who worked in a nursing home during Covid-19 pandemic, geriatric care experts, and citizens taking part in public online discourse. First, a factorial survey is used to explore the relevant burdens and coping strategies. Second, a two-step consensus procedure involving the Nominal Group Technique develops recommendations. Third, a discourse analyses contextualise nurses' and societies' perspectives and narratives. Ethics and dissemination: An ethical clearing was given in July 2023 by the ethics commission of the German Society of Nursing Science. Data will be made available to the research public. All research parts will be published in journal articles and in a German language project report.