Factors related to nurses' posttraumatic growth during the early stage of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic: a scoping review

Objectives This study aimed to identify the factors influencing nurses' posttraumatic growth (PTG) during the early stages of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.Methods A literature search was conducted in February 2023 across databases, including Medline, CINAHL, APA PsycINFO, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, for articles published between January 2020 and February 2023 related to PTG in nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Inclusion criteria were English-language articles, original research on nurses' PTG, and studies conducted after January 2020. Of 1089 identified articles, 142 were screened, and 27 were selected for final analysis. Data extracted from the articles included the author(s) name(s), the study's geographic location, publication year, study purpose, study design, participants, methods, measurement scales, results, and notes. PTG factors were extracted and grouped into 4 broad categories: COVID-related factors, nursing-related factors, factors in Tedeschi's PTG conceptual model, and other factors. Smaller categories were then created by inductively categorizing the factors based on similarities and differences.Results As factors of nurses' PTG during the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic, 16 subcategories were organized under 4 categories. In addition to all factors from Tedeschi's PTG model, some COVID-related factors (eg, care context, organizational training), and some nursing-related factors (eg, work environment) were shown to be related to PTG. No significant relationships were found between almost all of the other factors, including sociodemographic attributes, and PTG.Conclusions Factors found in this study can help identify nurses' PTG facilitators and guide the development of interventions for future crises. Key pointsWhat is already known on this topic: During the COVID-19 pandemic, nurses working on the frontline were under psychological and physical stress, and these psychological and physical stresses not only reduced individual well-being and job satisfaction and increased turnover intentions, but also decreased workplace safety and patient quality of care. In contrast, positive psychological change-posttraumatic growth (PTG)-during pandemic situations could enhance occupational health such as work engagement of health care workers. Identifying factors that promote nurses' PTG during infectious disease outbreaks may help nurses to recognize positive outcomes from traumatic experiences and disasters. However, no study has comprehensively identified factors affecting nurses' PTG during a COVID-19 pandemic. What this study adds: This study found factors related to nurses' PTG: all factors from Tedeschi's PTG model (eg, personal resources, resilience, rumination), some COVID-related factors (eg, care context, organizational training), and some nursing-related factors (eg, work environment). No significant relationships were found between almost all of the other factors, including sociodemographic attributes (eg, age, sex, having children). How this study affects research, practice, or policy: Using these findings as a guide to improve the clinical practice environment for nurses can increase nurses' PTG and contribute to building disaster-resilient health care systems. In future, the results of this study could potentially be applied as an evaluation criterion to connect nurses' trauma to PTG during other disasters.