Workplace Environment and Psychological Distress of Nurses and Nursing Assistants During COVID-19

Registered nurses (RNs) and nursing assistants (NAs) play critical roles during crises. Understanding how the perceived work environment affects psychological distress among these healthcare workers is essential for developing interventions that support mental health and organizational outcomes. This study examined the association between perceived workplace environment and psychological distress, including stress, depressive, anxiety, and somatic symptoms, among inpatient RNs and NAs during the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 84 RNs and NAs employed at a large academic medical center between April and September 2021. The Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index (PES-NWI) was used to measure the perceived workplace environment, while psychological distress symptoms were assessed using the Perceived Stress Scale, Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, and PHQ-15. Descriptive statistics and independent t-tests analyzed cohort characteristics. A stepwise approach with univariate and adjusted linear regression models assessed the relationship between workplace environment scores and psychol