Critical-care nurses were physically and mentally fried before the pandemic struck Modern Healthcare Illustration / Getty Images A new analysis found that a majority of critical-care nurses scored themselves low on physical and mental health status even before the pandemic began. Survey results conducted by researchers at Ohio State University College of Nursing found 61% of more than 700 critical care nurses rated their physical health a score of five or lower out of a possible 10, while 51% reported their mental health with a score of five or lower. The data were collected from Aug. 31, 2018, through Aug. 11, 2019. Nearly two-thirds of nurses reported to have made medical errors in the past five years. The study found nurses who reported having poorer physical and mental health were 31% to 62% more likely to have made medical errors compared with those who reported being in better health with a score of six or higher. The findings were published Saturday in the American Journal of Critical Care.