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Helping Nurses Cope with COVID-19 Pandemic: Evaluating Support Programs

During the height of the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Pandemic, nurses all over the world, including members of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses in North America (NANNNA) experienced a heightened and unprecedented level of stress, anxiety, fear, uncertainty, concern for their safety and that of their loved ones. This prompted NANNNA leadership to initiate and conduct support programs for nurses especially those on the frontline of care. This project evaluates the effectiveness of the support programs conducted by NANNNA during the early surge of COVID-19. The Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC’s) Framework for Evaluation in Public Health guided this evaluation. Focus group discussion and online survey was utilized to gather data. While 19% of respondents reported being diagnosed with COVID-19, the majority (81%) were not. About 44% of respondents had family members who were diagnosed with COVID-19, while 18% reported loss of a close family member due to COVID-19 complications. Most respondents reported that the program was impactful in information sharing as well as significant in helping them feel connected with other nurses. Hence, this subsequently enhanced their support networks, provided emotional and spiritual support. Survey results revealed that NANNNA support programs had positive effects in helping members mitigate the fear, anxiety and uncertainty experienced during the surge of the COVID-19.