Abstract:

The prevalence of COVID-19 in the general population in many countries, high morbidity and mortality rates make it necessary to develop ways of adapting to the new crisis by disabling the usual coping styles, and create an unprecedented here on all healthcare professionals worldwide. Nurses are healthcare professionals working in the frontline by providing 24-hour care during this pandemic. In this process beyond experiencing an increase in the intensity of their work, nurses try to adapt to new protocols and an extremely "new normal", witness a faster deterioration in patients' condition, provide more frequent end-of-life care, work in different areas for longer periods of time without breaks, fight with insufficient protective equipment such as mask/visor, and try to cope with situations that cause serious moral distress. All of these factors cause nurses to experience high levels of stress and to face mental health risks. In this context, it is important to protect the mental health of nurses and prevent trauma. This article has been written in order to reveal the conditions affecting mental health of nurses working in the front line during the COVID-19 pandemic process, mental health problems experienced by the nurses and draw attention to the precautions that can be taken in order to protect the mental health of nurses and to prevent psychological trauma.

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