Nurses’ professional identity and information needs in the time of Covid-19: A latent cluster analysis

Abstract

The aims of this study are to find out, how nurses differ regarding their professional identity in times of Covid-19 and if nurses of different clusters of professional identity also differ regarding their satisfaction with their information needs. To get more insights in nurses work situation in Covid-19, we asked nurses about information sources they use to get information about Covid-19, by whom they feel supported, and if they feel fear working in times of Covid-19. We conducted a cross-sectional study. We used online questionnaires. 266 Nurses in Germany (N = 266) participated in our study. The study was conducted during Covid-19 pandemic. Our results show that most nurses use information about Covid-19 provided by their organisation. Most of them find social support through their colleagues. There are two clusters of nurses with significantly different professional identities; these two clusters show significant differences regarding their satisfaction with information needs. The results of the study are important for nursing organisations that should provide information for their nurses and by this can have influence on their coping strategies.