Work-Family Balance and Managing Spillover Effects Communicatively during COVID-19: Nurses’ Perspectives

Work-family balance has received meaningful attention from researchers and practitioners alike. Work and family are usually seen as two separate domains that are interdependent, with boundaries that have some level of permeability. Crisis situations can alter permeability of these boundaries, enhancing integration of the two domains due to exchange of ideas and spillover of concerns between these domains. This study looks at how these boundaries are impacted for nurses working directly with COVID-19 patients. The study conducted 24 semi-structured interviews with nurses. Through a thematic analysis the study found that the work-family boundaries have blurred due to concerns around the contagiousness and anxiety associated with the virus. In order to cope with these spillover and possible crossover effects, nurses use prosocial distortion and avoidance and create sub-boundaries at home.