A Secondary Data Study of Frontline Nurses' and Nursing Managers' Assessed Stress Levels during the Second COVID‐19 Wave.

Background. Nursing managers were often required to take on dual roles as managers and staff nurses due to nurse shortages during the COVID‐19 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to compare the perceived stress levels among frontline nursing staff and nursing managers. Methods. This secondary data analysis relied upon 1643 data extracted from two online surveys between November 2020 and March 2021. A convenience sample of Austrian frontline nurses and managers from hospitals and nursing homes was used. In addition to demographics, we collected data using the German version of the Perceived Stress Scale. Results. Frontline nurses of both settings experienced statistically significant higher levels of stress and higher levels of helplessness as well as self‐efficacy than their respective managers. Most participants perceived moderate to high stress levels during the second wave of the COVID‐19 pandemic in Austria. Conclusions. These findings underline the urgency for stress‐reducing interventions as well as for fostering emergency trainings/response strategies for frontline nurses and nursing managers. Moreover, our findings provide hospital managers and health professionals with specific evidence to increase awareness of the dual tasks of nursing managers and to enable them to prepare strategies for future pandemics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]