This study aimed to review existing literature on the psychological burden, including ethical dilemmas, and the quality of care experienced by nurses working in palliative care wards under various restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, to elucidate their characteristics, and to identify implications for the future direction of nursing practice. Literature searches were conducted using the Ichushi-Web (Japan Medical Abstracts Society) and PubMed, and four domestic studies and one international study published since 2019 were included in the analysis. The findings revealed that nurses faced significant work-related and psychological burdens, such as difficulties in building relationships with patients’ families, increased responsibility for information provision, and role conflicts under visitation restrictions. Conversely, despite these constraints, care practices aimed at maintaining patient dignity and preserving connections between patients and their families were implemented, suggesting that the essence and quality of palliative care were sustained in modified forms.

Regarding the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health, there are concerns about the risk of lasting effects, especially among young people. In this study, we aimed to clarify the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic experience on the mental health of university students in the post-pandemic era and conducted a nationwide questionnaire survey and analyzed 331 responses. As a result, the experiences during the pandemic, such as general activity restrictions, self-growth or the importance of family and friends, infection prevention behaviors or restrictions of conversations with friends, reunion with family, new learning methods, or new hobbies and activities, were significantly associated with better mental health and resilience in the post-pandemic period. These results suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic experience may have a positive impact on the mental health of university students in the post-pandemic era.