Abstract: Objective: To investigate the psychological status and stressors of nurses in the geriatric ward of a designated hospital in the early stage of COVID-19 epidemic, and provide basis for the early psychological intervention for reserve nurses on the frontline. Methods: From January 29 to 31, 2020, a convenience sampling method was used to recruit and enroll 136 nurses in the geriatric ward of a designated hospital for the treatment of critically ill patients with COVID-19 in Wuhan. The general information questionnair, the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7), Lonely and Fear Numerical Rating Scale (NRS), and nurses' stress source scale were used for investigation. Results: Depression were observed to in 45 nurses (33.1%), anxiety in 59 (43.4%), loneliness in 102 (75.0%), and fear in 131 (96.3%) within one week. The overall nurse stressors score was (2.28±0.76), and issues concerning patient care were the main source of stress for those nurses. Conclusion: Attention should be paid to the psychological stress response and stressors of the nurses in the geriatric ward. Nursing leaders are supposed to actively supply strong social support to nurses, offer psychological counseling and hospital infection prevention and control training to improve physical and mental health of nurses, and ensure the quality of care and patient safety.

Key words: COVID-19; department of geriatrics; nurse; psychological status; source of stress