Table 5 Differences between Dutch, Danish and Swedish nurses in stress of conscience index (range 0–35)

1.Lack time to provide the care the patient needed in the Covid-ICU?

(internal demands and external demands/restrictions)

1.4(2.8)

0–12

3.0(4.8)

0–18

9.6 (5–7)

0–21

 < 0.001**

2.Forced to provide care that felt wrong in the Covid-ICU

(internal demands)

2.2 (4.4)

0–20

7.4(9.5)

0–35

15.5 (9.9)

0–35

 < 0.001*

3.Deal with incompatible demands in your work in the Covid-ICU

(external demands/restrictions)

2.0(4.9)

0–28

4.4 (8.1)

0–35

15.5 (11.4)

0–35

 < 0.001***

4.See patients being insulted and/or injured in the Covid-ICU

(internal demands)

0.3(1.0)

0–5

4.4(8.1)

0–35

7.1(10.0)

0–35

 < 0.001***

5.Find yourself avoiding patients or family members who need help or support in the Covid-ICU

(internal demands)

0.8(2.7)

0–21

3.2(7.8)

0–35

5.7(8.2)

0–35

 < 0.001****

6.Your private life was ever so demanding that you did not have the energy to devote yourself to your work in the Covid-ICU as you would have liked

(external demands/restrictions)

3.1(6.5)

0–35

3.4(6.4)

0–28

2.5(6.5)

0–35

n.s

7.Your work in the Covid-ICU was ever so demanding that you did not have the energy to devote yourself to your family as you would have liked

(external demands/restrictions)

6.8(8.9)

0–35

12.5(10.7)

0–35

20.3(11.5)

0–35

 < 0.001*

8.Feel that you cannot live up to others expectations of your work in the Covid-ICU

(external demands/restrictions)

6.4/10.8)

0–35

7.0(10.7)

0–35

12.4(12.3)

0–35

 < 0.001**

9.Lower your ambitions to provide good care in the Covid-ICU

(internal demands)

0.5(1.2)

0–5

2.2(2.0)

0–5

3.4(1.6)

0–5

 < 0.001*