Psychological Distress and Presenteeism During the Pandemic Period: A Quantitative Study Among Nurses From Emergency and Critical Care

AIM: To assess the psychological status and the prevalence of presenteeism among Spanish nurses working in emergency departments (EDs) and intensive care units (ICUs) and to explore the association between these variables. BACKGROUND: Nurses working in ED and ICU settings experience higher levels of psychological stress, including burnout and lower job satisfaction. Anxiety and depression are common in this group and may contribute to nursing presenteeism. Presenteeism is defined as continuing to work despite feeling ill or unwell. There are gaps in research addressing the psychological status and presenteeism of ED and ICU nurses in Spain. METHODS: A cross-sectional study using the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K-10) and the Stanford Presenteeism Scale (SPS-6) was conducted between April and December 2022. In total, 182 participants were included. The study followed the STROBE guidelines. FINDINGS: Psychological distress was identified in 35.7% of participants, and a presenteeism prevalence of 43.8% was observed among nurses. A statistically significant association between psychological distress and presenteeism was found (p < 0.001). Age, educational background, and perceived work-related stress (p = 0.05) were identified as factors associated with psychological distress. Perceived work-related stress was also significantly associated with presenteeism (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: More than one-third of nurses working in ED and ICU settings experienced psychological distress, and a high prevalence of presenteeism was identified. Presenteeism was associated with higher levels of psychological distress. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: Early detection of psychological distress and the implementation of workplace interventions may help reduce presenteeism among nurses.