Analysis of the adaptation strategies used by nurses during the health crisis according to their professional trajectories

Introduction: Pre-pandemic studies reveal that nursing staff did not feel sufficiently prepared and confident to cope with a crisis situation. We observed an increase in distress among nursing staff and numerous changes in career paths during the health crisis. Coping strategies help manage stress and minimize its impacts. They can influence the trajectories taken by nursing staff during the pandemic, which may contribute to the precariousness of the health and social services network. It is currently unknown what strategies nurses used and how they impacted their career paths. Objectives: 1) Identify the coping strategies used by nursing staff during the health crisis 2) Analyze the impact of strategies on career paths 3) Propose strategies that can be implemented by institutions to support the adaptation of nursing staff during a health crisis. Methods: A descriptive qualitative study will be conducted by analyzing the experiential maps of 75 nurses classified into five professional trajectories. An inductive and deductive analysis method of the maps will be used to identify the adaptation strategies used and their impact on the trajectories. Results: This study will identify the adaptation strategies used by nursing staff and determine their impact on professional trajectories, thus making it possible to provide concrete solutions to Canadian healthcare institutions to support nursing staff during a future pandemic crisis.