Working Conditions and Wellbeing among Prison Nurses during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Comparison to Community Nurses

Megan Guardiano, Paul Boy, Grigoriy Shapirshteyn, Lisa Dobrozdravic, Liwei Chen, Haiou Yang, Wendie Robbins and Jian Li ()
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Megan Guardiano: School of Nursing, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
Paul Boy: School of Nursing, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
Grigoriy Shapirshteyn: Quality Management Support Unit, Avenal State Prison, Avenal, CA 93204, USA
Lisa Dobrozdravic: Quality Management Support Unit, Avenal State Prison, Avenal, CA 93204, USA
Liwei Chen: Department of Epidemiology, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
Haiou Yang: Center for Occupational and Environmental Health, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92617, USA
Wendie Robbins: School of Nursing, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
Jian Li: School of Nursing, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 17, 1-12

Abstract: The psychological health and work challenges of nurses working in prisons during the COVID-19 pandemic are understudied. We evaluated the work and wellbeing characteristics of a California prison nurse group, with a comparison to those of a community nurse group. From May to November 2020, an online survey measured psychosocial and organizational work factors, sleep habits, psychological characteristics, COVID-19 impacts, and pre-pandemic recall among 62 prison nurses and 47 community nurses. Prison nurses had significantly longer work hours (54.73 ± 14.52, p < 0.0001), higher pandemic-related work demands, and less sleep hours (5.36 ± 1.30, p < 0.0001) than community nurses. Community nurses had significantly higher pandemic-related fear levels (work infection: p = 0.0115, general: p = 0.0025) and lower perceived personal protective equipment (PPE) supply ( p = 0.0103). Between pre-pandemic and pandemic periods, both groups had significantly increased night shift assignments and decreased sleep hours, but the prison group had increased work hours. Although not statistically significant, both groups had high occupational stress and prevalence of post-traumatic stress symptoms. Our results indicate that prison nurses experienced work and wellbeing challenges during the pandemic. Future research and practice ought to address nurses’ workload, PPE, and psychological resources in correctional facilities and healthcare organizations.

Keywords: correctional nurses; occupational health; work conditions; mental health; prison; nurses; COVID-19 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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