The influencing factors of nurses' well-being in critical care during pandemic era: a systematic review protocol.

Purpose: To review, identify and disclose predictive and hindering factors of critical care nurse well-being in the COVID-19 era.

Design: Systematic review protocol based on the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) guidelines.

Review methods: All quantitative primary studies focused on factors influencing the well-being of critical care nurses and the relationships among these factors will be included. Based on the review question, six databases will be searched: MEDLINE, The Cochrane Library, SCOPUS, CINAHL, Web on Science, PsycINFO. Time limits will be set according to the COVID-19 pandemic era. To establish the quality of studies JBI tools will be used. Where possible, data will be summarised quantitatively through meta-analysis.

Expected results: We anticipate that this systematic review will provide an overview of the factors that impacted the professional well-being of critical care nurses during the pandemic period from COVID-19.

Conclusions: This study will be the first to reveal factors that impact intensive care nurses' well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic era. Furthermore, it will provide updated and valid evidence of which factors should be considered predictive of intensive care nurses' well-being and which hinder it.

Implication for the profession: Enhancing the professional well-being of nurses is crucial in addressing the growing trend of their intention to leave the profession. Understanding the factors that positively or negatively impact the well-being of critical care nurses during the pandemic is key to developing effective retention strategies within the nursing field. The results of the review will support managers and leaders in direct health policies toward the implementation of interventions to promote the well-being of healthcare workers and to contrast the intention to leave.