Interventions to support the resilience and mental health of frontline health and social care professionals during and after a disease outbreak, epidemic or pandemic: a mixed methods systematic review

Frontline health workers' experiences of providing care for people living with non-communicable diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana: a qualitative study

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted frontline health workers. However, a neglected dimension of this discourse was the extent to which the pandemic impacted frontline healthcare workers providing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) care. This study aims to understand the experiences of healthcare workers with no prior exposure to pandemics who provided care to people living with NCDs (PLWNCDs).

METHODS

A qualitative study design was employed, using a face-to-face in-depth interviews. Interviews were conducted in primary healthcare facilities in three administrative regions of Ghana, representing the Northern, Southern and Middle Belts. Only frontline health workers with roles in providing care for PLWNCDs were included. Purposive snowballing and convenience sampling methods were employed to select frontline health workers. An open-ended interview guide was used to facilitate data collection, and thematic content analysis was used to analyse the data.

RESULTS

A total of 47 frontline health workers were interviewed. Overall, these workers experienced diverse patient-driven and organisational challenges. Patient-level challenges included a decline in healthcare utilisation, non-adherence to treatment, a lack of continuity, fear and stigma. At the organisational levels, there was a lack of medical logistics, increased infection of workers and absenteeism, increased workload and burnout, limited motivational packages and inadequate guidelines and protocols. Workers coped and responded to the pandemic by postponing reviews and consultations, reducing inpatient and outpatient visits, changing their prescription practices, using teleconsultation and moving to long-shift systems.

CONCLUSION

This study has brought to the fore the experiences that adversely affected frontline health workers and, in many ways, affected the care provided to PLWNCDs. Policymakers and health managers should take these experiences into account in plans to mitigate the impact of future pandemics.

Have the effects of Covid-19 been overcome? Levels of Covid-19 fear, Covid-19 anxiety and hopelessness in young adolescents: A structural equation modeling

OBJECTIVE

This research aimed to determine the level of fear, anxiety, and hopelessness of Covid-19 in young adolescents' post Covid-19 period.

DESIGN AND SAMPLES

Young adolescents in the 17-24 age group were included in this study, which was conducted in a descriptive-cross-sectional design.

MEASUREMENTS

Sociodemographic characteristics questionnaire form and Coronavirus (Covid-19) Fear Scale, Coronavirus Anxiety Scale, and Beck Hopelessness Scale were used to collect data.

RESULTS

90.8% of the participants had been vaccinated, 26.9% had previously caught in Covid-19, and 10.3% of those who had been caught in the disease had a severe course. 10.7% of young adolescents had to take medicines, 56.4% had a family history of Covid-19, and 18.7% had lost a relative as a result of Covid-19, was found. The level of fear, anxiety and hopelessness was higher among women, first-grade students, those who did not receive the Covid-19 vaccine, those who have caught in Covid-19 before, and those who have lost a family due to Covid-19.

CONCLUSION

It is thought that the increase in the awareness level of young adolescents about Covid-19 improves preventive health behaviors and enables the development of positive behaviors related to the disease.

Programmatic implementation of depression screening and remote mental health support sessions for persons recently diagnosed with TB in Lima, Peru during the COVID-19 pandemic

Background

Few studies have explored a stepped care model for delivering mental health care to persons with tuberculosis (TB). Here, we evaluated depression screening and remote low-intensity mental health interventions for persons initiating TB treatment in Lima, Peru during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

We used the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9) to screen participants for depressive symptoms (PHQ-9 ≥ 5). Participants with PHQ-9, 5-14 received remote Psychological First Aid (PFA) or Problem Management Plus (PM+). Participants were reevaluated 6 months after intervention completion. We then compared the change in median PHQ-9 scores before and after intervention completion. Those with PHQ-9 ≥ 15 were referred to higher-level care.

Findings

We found that 62 (45.9%) of the 135 participants had PHQ-9 ≥ 5 at baseline. Then, 54 individuals with PHQ-9, 5-9 received PFA, of which 44 (81.5%) were reevaluated. We observed significant reductions in median PHQ-9 scores from 6 to 2 (r = 0.98; p < 0.001). Four participants with PHQ-9, 10-14 received PM+ but were unable to be reevaluated. Four participants with PHQ-9 ≥ 15 were referred to higher-level care.

Conclusions

Depressive symptoms were common among persons recently diagnosed with TB. We observed improvements in depressive symptoms 6 months later for most participants who received remote sessions of PFA.

Nurses' mental workload and public health emergency response capacity in COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study

AIMS

The aim of this study was to assess the level of mental workload of Chinese nurses through a latent profile analysis and to explore its relationship with public health emergency response capacity.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional design with a convenience sample.

METHODS

A convenience sample of nurses from five tertiary hospitals in Chengdu between May and December 2022. Demographic, work-related information, Nurse's version of NASA's Task Load Index Scale and Nurse's Public Health Emergency Response Capacity Scale were used in this study.

RESULTS

The mean scores for mental workload and emergency response capacity for nurses were (57.19 ± 15.67) and (3.58 ± 0.77) respectively. We found that the mental workload of nurses fell into three potential categories. In addition, there were differences in psychological training and supply of epidemic prevention materials in the department among nurses with different mental workload subtypes. There was a moderate negative correlation between nurses' mental workload and public health emergency response capacity.

CONCLUSION

Our results show that there is still a strong mental workload on a proportion of nurses, and enhanced psychological training and material supply support are beneficial in relieving nurses' mental workload. The better the nurses' capacity to cope with public health emergencies, the lower their mental workload.

IMPACT

Nursing managers should pay ongoing attention to the mental workload status of nurses in the latter stages of a pandemic and individual differences in nurses' mental workload. In addition, nursing managers should be aware of the impact of public health emergency response capacity on nurses' mental workload. They can intervene in nurses mental workload from a new perspective.

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

560 registered nurses participated in this study.

Resilience is an Adverse Event: A Critical Discussion of Resilience Theory in Health Services Research and Public Health

Resilience, the individual trait of being able to persist and cope with, often recurrent, negative experiences, has experienced an explosion in recent years as a topic of study. In this commentary, we critique this surge and problematize the co-occurring development of the "resilience as treatment" paradigm. We show that resilience is an expectation foisted primarily on historically and contemporarily oppressed and excluded populations often in response to systemic and structural forms of discrimination. We argue that this represents a fundamental mismatch of intervention and problem; offering an individual-level solution to a structural toxin. In doing so, we re-contextualize resilience as an adverse event, more analogous to scar tissue than a reliable treatment paradigm. Our essay concludes with offering alternatives to resilience that originate with the holistic trauma and liberation health frameworks. These paradigms are united in that, in contrast to resilience, they emphasize healing from structural violence, rather than adapting to it.

Workforce wellbeing centres and their positive role for wellbeing and presenteeism in healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: secondary analysis of COVID-Well data

BACKGROUND

Supported wellbeing centres established during the COVID-19 pandemic provided high quality rest spaces and access to peer-to-peer psychological first aid for healthcare workers (HCWs). The centres were well accessed and valued by HCWs, but their relationship with wellbeing and job-related factors is not well established. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between wellbeing centre use, HCWs wellbeing and job-related factors (job stressfulness, job satisfaction, presenteeism, turnover intentions).

METHODS

Secondary analysis of data from 819 HCWs from an acute hospital trust who completed an online survey in April-July 2020, as part of the COVID-Well study. Measures included the Warwick Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale, and four single-item global measures of job stressfulness, job satisfaction, presenteeism and turnover intentions. ANCOVA models and regression analyses were conducted on these data.

RESULTS

HCWs who had not accessed the wellbeing centres had lower wellbeing (β = 0.12, p < .001), higher job stressfulness (β = - 0.22, p < .001), lower job satisfaction (β = 0.39, p < .001), higher presenteeism (β = - 0.22, p < .001) and were of younger age (β = 0.09, p = .002). Centre use was associated with wellbeing irrespective of job stressfulness. Those reporting presenteeism and who accessed the centre (M = 3.30, SE = 0.04) had higher wellbeing than those who accessed the centre but did not report presenteeism (M = 3.06, SE = 0.04) (F(1, 791) = 18.65, p < .001, ηp2 = 0.02). Centre use was not significantly associated with turnover intentions (B = - 0.30, p = .13; Wald = 2.26; odds = 0.74), while job stress and job satisfaction showed significant effects.

CONCLUSIONS

Accessing wellbeing centres was associated with higher wellbeing of HCWs, particularly for those reporting presenteeism. Therefore, the centres may have provided greatest respite and restoration for those present at work but not in optimal health. Younger workers were disproportionately affected in terms of wellbeing, and targeted support for this population is needed. Strategies to decrease presenteeism and maximise job satisfaction are urgently required. Healthcare organisations should provide rest spaces and psychological support to HCWs for the long-term, as part of a systems-wide approach to improving workforce health and wellbeing.

Measuring the Nursing Work Environment during Public Health Emergencies: Scale Adaptation and Validation

Aim

To develop a scale for measuring nurse's perceived work environment during the public health emergencies (PHEs) and assess its reliability and validity.

Background

Although there is extensive research on instruments for measuring nursing work environments in regular healthcare settings, there is a lack of specific scales tailored to address the unique work conditions experienced by nurses during PHEs.

Design

This study employed a cross-sectional design for psychometric evaluation and adhered to the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) statement.

Methods

A self-report scale, the Chinese Nursing Work Environment Scale for Public Health Emergencies (C-NWE-PHE), was developed, integrating situational characteristics. Data on demographics, adapted scale scores, and subjective evaluations of nursing management performance were collected from 1156 nurses through online surveys conducted between January 2023 and March 2023. Confirmatory factor analysis, Pearson correlations, and Cronbach's alpha analyses were conducted to evaluate the psychometric properties of the scale.

Results

The adapted C-NWE-PHE scale comprised 28 items organized into five subscales: Workforce and Deployment Support, Leadership and Emergency Management, Autonomy and Empowerment, Teamwork and Collaboration, and Logistics and Humanistic Care. Structural equation modelling showed satisfactory factor loadings for each subscale and a good model fit, confirming construct validity. The content validity and reliability of the total scale were confirmed.

Conclusion

This study provides empirical evidence for understanding and assessing the nursing work environment during PHEs with a psychometrically sound scale. Implications for Nursing Management. The C-NWE-PHE scale, along with its five identified constructs, provides a nuanced comprehension of working conditions amid PHEs. Implementing this scale could foster specific enhancements, support nurse retention efforts, and enhance the effectiveness of responses during challenging emergency situations.

Physician resilience and perceived quality of care among medical doctors with training in psychosomatic medicine during the COVID-19 pandemic: a quantitative and qualitative analysis

BACKGROUND

At an individual level, physician resilience protects against burnout and against its known negative effects on individual physicians, patient safety, and quality of care. However, it remains uncertain whether physician resilience also correlates with maintaining a high level of healthcare quality during crises such as a pandemic. This study aimed to investigate whether higher resilience among physicians, who had received training in resilience-related competences in the past, would be associated with higher quality of care delivered during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

This study enrolled physicians working in family medicine, psychiatry, internal medicine, and other medical specialties, who had obtained at least one of three consecutive diplomas in psychosomatic medicine in the past. Participants completed a quantitative and qualitative anonymous online survey. Resilience was measured using the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, and healthcare quality was assessed through single-item quality indicators, including perceived quality of care, professional autonomy, adequate time for patient care, and job satisfaction.

RESULTS

The study included 229 physicians (70 males/159 females) with additional training in psychosomatic medicine, working in family medicine (42.5%), psychiatry (28.1%), internal medicine (7.0%), or other medical specialties (22.4%). Participants represented four intensity levels of training background (level 1 to level 4: 9.2%, 32.3%, 46.3%, and 12.2% of participants). Training background in psychosomatic medicine was positively associated with resilience (B = 0.08, SE = 0.04, p <.05). Resilience and training background independently predicted perceived quality of care, even after controlling for variables such as own health concerns, involvement in the treatment of COVID-19 patients, financial strain, percentage of working hours spent on patient care, age, and gender (resilience: B = 0.33, SE = 0.12, p <.01; training background: B = 0.17, SE = 0.07, p <.05). Both resilience and training background predicted job satisfaction (resilience: B = 0.42, SE = 0.12, p <.001; training background: B = 0.18, SE = 0.07, p <.05), while resilience alone predicted professional autonomy (B = 0.27, SE = 0.12, p <.05). In response to an open question about their resources, resilient physicians more frequently reported applying conscious resilient skills/emotion regulation (p <.05) and personal coping strategies (p <.01) compared to less resilient medical doctors.

CONCLUSION

Physician resilience appears to play a significant role in the perceived quality of patient care, professional autonomy, and job satisfaction during healthcare crises.

The relationship between sense of coherence and emotional intelligence as individual health assets for mental health promotion in students and healthcare professionals: a scoping review

Introduction

Workplace Mental health promotion in healthcare sector, is a global priority due to the stress associated with caregiving environments and the increase of mental health problems among health professionals and students. The role of emotional intelligence (EI) and sense of coherence (SOC) have been identified as critical health protectors. However, the relationship between them as well as the underlying mechanisms of these relationships on health benefits in this population is still unclear.

Aim

To synthetize the existing literature on the relationship between emotional intelligence and sense of coherence, as well as their mutual impact on healthcare workers' and student's well-being.

Method

A scoping review was conducted following the Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines. A systematic search was conducted in PsyCINFO, CINHAL, SCOPUS and PUBMED databases, using key-terms such as students, health professionals, emotional intelligence, and sense of coherence.

Results

A total of 11 articles were included, with a range of years from 2014 to 2022. Evidence was found to support the positive relationship between sense of coherence and emotional intelligence. The use of EI as a training pathway to improve SOC and health promoting behaviors is suggested. The benefits of intervening on these factors contribute to improved health professionals' and students' general well-being and motivation for a better performance, either in their studies or clinical work.

Conclusion

The positive relationship between emotional intelligence and a sense of coherence has direct and indirect benefits on students' and healthcare professionals' well-being. Future studies should address longitudinal and experimental analysis to confirm these findings.

Medical care services provision and stress experience in urologists during all waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany

Purpose

Urologists' practices reported decreasing medical care provision and increasing stress experience in the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, long-term effects of the pandemic are unknown.

Methods

Medical record data of n = 127 urologists were used to assess changes in healthcare provision, comparing the pandemic with the pre-pandemic period. An online survey among n = 101 urologists was conducted to assess the physicians' perceptions of the identified healthcare provision and organizational changes and experiences of anxiety, stress, and support needs during the pandemic waves. Urologists consultations, specialists' referrals, hospital admissions, documented cancer diagnoses, urologists' perceptions of causes for these changes and experienced stress, anxiety and support needs. Results were demonstrated using descriptive statistics.

Results

Over the first two years of the pandemic, there was a slight decline in consultations (-0,94%), but more intensive reduction in hospital admissions (-13,6%) and identified cancer diagnoses (-6,2%). Although patients' behavior was seen as the main reason for the changes, 71 and 61% of consultations of high-risk patients or urgent surgeries were canceled. Telemedical approaches were implemented by 58% of urologists, and 88% stated that the reduced cancer detection rate would negatively affect patients' outcomes. Urologists reported higher anxiety, stress, and need for support during all waves of the pandemic than other disciplines, especially females.

Conclusion

The pandemic tremendously affects urologists' health care provision and stress experience, possibly causing long-term consequences for patients and physicians.

Grieving Children' Death in an Intensive Care Unit: Implementation of a Standardized Process

Background: The grief that accompanies witnessing the death of a child puts health care professionals at risk of secondary trauma, burnout, and turnover when left unaddressed. Objective: Support staff well-being and promote resiliency. Methods: Descriptive implementation of a structured, peer-to-peer bereavement support program for intensive care unit (ICU) staff at a tertiary children's hospital. Results: Thirty-five virtual sessions were held over the period of one year.Through these sessions, participants shared perspectives and normalized reactions, and explored potential coping strategies. Post-session feedback surveys demonstrated the negative impact of a death on the personal or work life of ICU staff. Additionally, nearly all reported some level of burnout. Conclusions: The sessions were feasible and positively impacted staff coping and well-being. Barriers and facilitators to session attendance, as well as suggestions for improvement, were also explored. Implications for practice and future research are discussed. No clinical trial registration is applicable.

Predictors of poor psychological functioning of healthcare workers based in Greece during the COVID-19 pandemic

Background

Poor psychological functioning during the COVID-19 pandemic has been reported in several studies of healthcare workers from around the world. Factors that might predict this have yet to be established.

Objectives

First, to ascertain which factors were associated with poor psychological functioning in a cohort of healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Second, to characterize key sociodemographic aspects of this cohort. Third, to determine the degree to which any predictors of poor psychological functioning were associated with each other.

Methods

A questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was conducted of 144 healthcare workers in Patras, Greece, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The questionnaire consisted of: (1) demographic survey questions; (2) the Psychological Consequences Questionnaire scale; (3) the Kessler Psychological Distress scale; and (4) Toulouse's scale for coping strategies. The data were analyzed using general linear modeling.

Results

The statistical model (p < 10-10) indicated that smoking or taking drugs to calm anxiety, feeling ashamed, and being overwhelmed by one's feelings were all predictors of poor psychological functioning. Conversely, income was a protective factor. A post hoc network analysis showed that smoking or taking drugs to calm anxiety was relatively strongly associated with feeling ashamed; the latter was also associated with feeling overwhelmed. There was a weak negative association between income and feeling ashamed.

Conclusion

This study highlights the critical importance of psychological functioning in shaping the mental well-being of healthcare professionals during pandemics. Prioritizing the mental health of frontline workers is crucial for their well-being and for the overall functioning of healthcare systems.

Nightmare distress, insomnia and resilience of nursing staff in the post-pandemic era

Introduction

The pandemic has led to notable psychological challenges among healthcare professionals, including nurses.

Objective

Our aims of this study were to assess insomnia and nightmare distress levels in nurses and investigate their association with mental resilience.

Methods

Nurses participated in an online survey, which included the Nightmare Distress Questionnaire (NDQ), Brief Resilience Scale (BRS) and Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS). Demographic information, such as age, professional experience and gender, was also collected.

Results

The study included 355 female and 78 male nurses. Findings revealed that 61.4% had abnormal AIS scores, 7% had abnormal NDQ scores and 25.4% had low BRS scores. Female nurses had higher AIS and NDQ scores but lower BRS scores compared to males. BRS demonstrated negative correlations with both AIS and NDQ. Multiple regression analysis indicated that NDQ accounted for 24% of the AIS variance, with an additional 6.5% explained by the BRS. BRS acted as a mediator, attenuating the impact of nightmares on insomnia, with gender moderating this relationship.

Conclusions

Nursing staff experienced heightened sleep disturbances during the pandemic, with nightmares and insomnia being prevalent. Nightmares significantly contributed to insomnia, but mental resilience played a vital role in mitigating this effect. Strategies are warranted to address the pandemic's psychological impact on nursing professionals.

Exploring Resilience in Care Home Nurses: An Online Survey

Resilience is considered a core capability for nurses in managing workplace challenges and adversity. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought care homes into the public consciousness; yet, little is known about the resilience of care home nurses and the attributes required to positively adapt in a job where pressure lies with individuals to affect whole systems. To address this gap, an online survey was undertaken to explore the levels of resilience and potential influencing factors in a sample of care home nurses in Northern Ireland between January and April 2022. The survey included the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, demographic questions and items relating to nursing practice and care home characteristics. Mean differences and key predictors of higher resilience were explored through statistical analysis. A moderate level of resilience was reported among the participants (n = 56). The key predictors of increased resilience were older age and higher levels of education. The pandemic has exposed systemic weakness but also the strengths and untapped potential of the care home sector. By linking the individual, family, community and organisation, care home nurses may have developed unique attributes, which could be explored and nurtured. With tailored support, which capitalises on assets, they can influence a much needed culture change, which ensures the contribution of this sector to society is recognised and valued.

A Systematized Overview of Published Reviews on Biological Hazards, Occupational Health, and Safety

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic turned biological hazards in the working environment into a global concern. This systematized review of published reviews aimed to provide a comprehensive overview of the specific jobs and categories of workers exposed to biological hazards with the related prevention.

Methods

We extracted reviews published in English and French in PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science. Two authors, working independently, subsequently screened the potentially relevant titles and abstracts recovered (step 1) and then examined relevant full texts (step 2). Disagreements were resolved by consensus. We built tables summarizing populations of exposed workers, types of hazards, types of outcomes (types of health issues, means of prevention), and routes of transmission.

Results

Of 1426 studies initially identified, 79 studies by authors from every continent were selected, mostly published after 2010 (n = 63, 79.7%). About half of the reviews dealt with infectious hazards alone (n = 38, 48.1%). The industrial sectors identified involved healthcare alone (n = 16), laboratories (n = 10), agriculture (including the animal, vegetable, and grain sectors, n = 32), waste (n = 10), in addition of 11 studies without specific sectors. The results also highlighted a range of hazards (infectious and non-infectious agents, endotoxins, bioaerosols, organic dust, and emerging agents).

Conclusion

This systematized overview allowed to list the populations of workers exposed to biological hazards and underlined how prevention measures in the healthcare and laboratory sectors were usually well defined and controlled, although this was not the case in the agriculture and waste sectors. Further studies are necessary to quantify these risks and implement prevention measures that can be applied in every country.

Enhancing Emergency Nurses' Disaster Nursing Ability and Psychological Resilience: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Objective

This study aimed to investigate emergency nurses' disaster nursing ability and psychological resilience, validate the effectiveness of a training system for disaster nursing ability based on psychological resilience, and verify the relationship between psychological resilience and disaster nursing ability among emergency nurses.

Methods

A training system was developed to enhance psychological resilience and disaster nursing ability. A multicenter, randomized controlled experiment was conducted in five Grade III hospitals in Sichuan Province. A total of 93 emergency nurses were randomly assigned to the following three groups: the blank group, intervention group, and control group. The corresponding interventions were as follows: no intervention, psychological resilience, and nurses' disaster nursing ability training. Personal information forms, the Connor-Davidson Resiliency Scale, and the Nurses' Disaster Nursing Ability Assessment Scale were used in the survey.

Results

There was no significant difference in the scores of psychological resilience and disaster nursing ability in the blank group in the pretest and posttest (P > 0.05). The disaster nursing ability of both the intervention and control groups significantly improved in the posttest (P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the intervention group demonstrated significant improvement in psychological resilience in the posttest (P < 0.05). However, there was no statistical difference in psychological resilience scores in the control group in the pretest and posttest (P > 0.05).

Conclusion

The study concluded that the psychological resilience and disaster nursing ability of emergency nurses could be enhanced through the implemented training system.

Study protocol: assessment of the usefulness and practicability of a psychoeducational intervention to prevent the negative psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on primary care health workers

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic has constituted an extraordinarily stressful situation for healthcare professionals and has led to psychological distress and an increase in various mental disorders. In the post-pandemic context, it is necessary to provide professionals with strategies and skills to manage this stressful situation and prevent or minimize its negative impact.

METHODS

Aims: To assess the feasibility and clinical effects of a group psychoeducational program focused on preventing the adverse psychological and emotional effects of the pandemic on primary care workers, and to explore the experience and perceptions of participants with regard to the program from a qualitative perspective.

DESIGN

A single-arm, before-and-after study conducted in primary care.

SETTING

The 332 primary care centers of the Catalan Institute of Health (Catalonia, Spain) Participants: The target population of the intervention is primary care workers, including clinical profiles (e.g., nurses and doctors), and non-clinical profiles (e.g., administrative staff). The implementation strategy will also involve community psychologists, who will lead the psychoeducational groups, and the health organization promoting the implementation.

INTERVENTION

A group psychoeducational program targeting primary care workers to promote emotional well-being and the ability to cope with stressful situations. Community psychologists will deliver it in the primary care centers they are linked to.

MEASURES

Mixed-methods evaluation, combining quantitative and qualitative research. A prospective assessment of the main outcomes (professional quality of life, psychological state, and resilience) will be performed using online questionnaires before and immediately after the intervention, and at 3 and 6 months. A qualitative study will be conducted, comprising focus groups and individual in-depth interviews with the participants in the intervention and the psychologists who provide it.

ETHICS

The Research Ethics Committee of the Jordi Gol Primary Care Research Institute (IDIAP) has approved the protocol (22/086-PCV).

DISCUSSION

This project proposes an intervention to promote mental health and psychological well-being in primary care workers by learning skills and integrating them into personal and professional life. The expected results will allow us to determine the usefulness and effectiveness of this psychoeducational intervention under the conditions of real clinical practice, provide data to model and perfect it, and promote its dissemination.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05720429; registered on 09/02/2023.

The Development and Integration of a Safety Officer Role to Facilitate Prevention of COVID-19 Virus Transmission in an Adult Inpatient Rehabilitation Setting Using Collaborative Change Leadership Methodology

BACKGROUND

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, a large urban academic hospital responded by creating the temporary role of a "Safety Officer (SO)." The key task of the SO role was to supervise staff donning and doffing personal protective equipment (PPE) and provide real-time feedback on their performance. The support for safe donning and doffing would contribute to staff well-being by reducing their fear of infection transmission.

METHODS

A Collaborative Change Leadership (CCL) approach was used to facilitate the development, implementation, and evaluation of the role. This included an iterative feedback process with clinicians and safety officers to continually refine the role.

FINDINGS

Feedback indicated value in the initiative as increasing staff confidence about preventing virus transmission, as well as their sense of safety at work. Areas for future improvement included additional communication strategies for interprofessional teams and external partners, as well as planning around logistics to better support the safety officers in performing this new, temporary role.

CONCLUSIONS/APPLICATION TO PRACTICE

The Safety Officer role was able to help alleviate concerns regarding potential infection transmission and contribute positively to staff well-being.

The First COVID-19 Pandemic Wave and the Effect on Health Care Trainees: A National Survey Study

BACKGROUND

This study observes the trends and patterns among trainees during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and their response to resident education and hospital/program support.

METHODS

An anonymous online 31-question survey was distributed to medical students and postgraduate year residents. Topics included were demographics, clinical responsibilities, educational/curricula changes, and trainee wellness. Descriptive analysis was performed for each set of demographic groupings as well as 2 and 3 group comparisons.

RESULTS

Total 1051 surveys collected, 930 used for analysis: 373 (40.1%) male, 434 (46.6%) aged 30-34 years, 588 (63.2%) white, 417 (44.8%) married, 168 (18%) with children, and 323 (34.7%) from the Northeast region. The Northeast experienced difficulty sleeping, feelings of guilt, hopelessness, and changes in appetite (P = .0077). The pandemic interfered significantly with relationships and living situations (P < .0001). Trainees 18-34 years believed the pandemic affected residency training (P < .0001). Surgical residents were concerned about reaching numbers of operative procedures to graduate (P < .0001). Residency programs adhered to ACGME work restrictions (P < .0001).

CONCLUSION

We aim to provide continued educational support for our trainees' clinical development and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The mediation role of resilience and postpartum traumatic stress disorder on parental attachment and the maternal-infant bonding

AIMS

This study aimed to evaluate the correlation between parental attachment, resilience, postpartum traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and maternal-infant bonding at 1 to 3 months postpartum. The mediation effect of resilience and PTSD on the postpartum parental attachment and maternal-infant bond was also evaluated.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional research design was used.

METHODS

A total of 400 postpartum women examined at a tertiary hospital in Wuhan from January 2021 to June 2021 were enrolled in the study. At about 1 to 3 months after giving birth, the women were asked to complete the Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire (PBQ), Connor-Davidson Resilience scale(CD-RISC), PTSD CheckList-Civilian version (PCL-C), and the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI). The data were summarized using descriptive statistics. Mediation analyse and the Spearman correlation (r) were used to correlate the resilience and PTSD questionnaire scores.

RESULTS

The care attachment dimension was significantly associated with resilience (r = 0.24, p < 0.01), PTSD (r = - 0.27, p < 0.01), and maternal-infant bonding (r = 0.10, p < 0.01), and the overprotection attachment dimension was significantly associated with resilience (r = - 0.11, p < 0.01), PTSD (r = 0.33, p < 0.01), and maternal-infant bonding (r = 0.16, p < 0.01). Resilience and PTSD can mediate the relationship between attachment and maternal-infant bonding.

CONCLUSION

Parental attachment, resilience, and PTSD significantly affect maternal-infant bonding at 1 to 3 months postpartum.

IMPACT

This study demonstrated that new interventions aimed at addressing PTSD symptoms and improving resilience might increase parental attachment and maternal-infant bonding after birth. However, further research is required to evaluate the success of these interventions.

Burnout in emergency department staff: The prevalence and barriers to intervention

Background

Burnout impacts patient care and staff well-being. Emergency department (ED) staff are at an elevated risk for burnout. Despite an acceleration in burnout research due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, there is limited data on the nature and prevalence of burnout in the South African emergency medicine setting.

Aim

This study determined the prevalence of burnout in ED staff (doctors, nurses and non-clinical staff) at Tygerberg Hospital and explored staff awareness and utilisation of interventions.

Setting

The study was conducted at Tygerberg Hospital, South Africa.

Methods

This cross-sectional study used the Maslach Burnout Inventory to assess burnout via a self-administered electronic survey in a convenience sample of 109 ED staff. Quantitative data were analysed with descriptive and inferential statistics. Qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis.

Results

A total of 46 participants (45.10%) experienced burnout, with 73 participants (71.57%) at high risk for emotional exhaustion or depersonalisation. The prevalence of burnout in doctors was 57.89%, non-clinical staff was 25.93%, and nursing staff was 50.00%. Burnout was higher in doctors and nursing staff compared to non-clinical staff, with high emotional exhaustion and depersonalisation found in interns and specialist professional nurses. The level of intervention awareness was 41.8% and the level of intervention utilisation was 8.82%. Thematic analysis identified awareness, accessibility and reactive utilisation as barriers to utilisation with opportunities to reduce burnout and enhance resilience.

Conclusion

Coordinated health system and organisational efforts are required to optimise intervention strategies to reduce burnout.

Contribution

Guidance on the design and planning of intervention strategies considering at risk groups, intervention-related factors, and non-clinical staff.

Occupational stressors and coping mechanisms among obstetrical nursing staff during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study

BACKGROUND

Due to heightened occupational stress throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, hospital nurses have experienced high rates of depression, anxiety, and burnout. Nurses in obstetrical departments faced unique challenges, such as the management of COVID-19 infection in pregnancy with limited evidence-based protocols and the unknown risks of the virus on pregnancy and fetal development. Despite evidence that obstetrical nurses have experienced high levels of job stress and a decrease in job satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic, there is less known about the working conditions resulting in these changes. Using the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model, this study aims to offer insight into the COVID-19 working environment of obstetrical nurses and shed light on their COVID-19 working experiences.

METHODS

The study was conducted using a qualitative approach, with data collection occurring through semi-structured interviews from December 2021 to June 2022. A total of 20 obstetrical nurses recruited from the obstetrical departments of a tertiary hospital located in Ontario, Canada, participated in the study. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and coded using NVivo. Data was analyzed using a theoretical thematic approach based on the JD-R model.

RESULTS

Four themes were identified: (1) Job stressors, (2) Consequences of working during COVID-19, (3) Personal resources, and (4) Constructive feedback surrounding job resources. The findings show that obstetrical nurses faced several unique job stressors during the COVID-19 pandemic but were often left feeling inadequately supported and undervalued by hospital upper management. However, participants offered several suggestions on how they believe support could have been improved and shared insight on resources they personally used to cope with job stress during the pandemic. A model was created to demonstrate the clear linkage between the four main themes.

CONCLUSIONS

This qualitative study can help inform hospital management and public policy on how to better support and meet the needs of nurses working in obstetrical care during pandemics. Moreover, applying the JD-R model offers both a novel and comprehensive look at how the COVID-19 hospital work environment has influenced obstetrical nurses' well-being and performance.

Risk factors of developing psychological problems among frontline healthcare professionals working in the COVID-19 pandemic era: a meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

This study sought to evaluate the risk factors behind developing psychological problems as per specific mental health assessment instruments. This study focuses specifically on frontline healthcare professionals of the COVID-19 pandemic era, and evaluated the psychological assessment of frontline healthcare professionals.

METHODS

Studies reporting on the psychological assessment of frontline healthcare professionals were retrieved from the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Ovid, EBSCO, and Cochrane Library databases. The recommended method was used to assess the risk of bias of the included studies. The random-effects method was applied when significant heterogeneity was observed.

RESULTS

The combined results from the 20 included articles indicated that frontline healthcare professionals had a higher risk of developing anxiety in comparison with non-frontline healthcare workers, with similar levels of depression scoring were observed. Healthcare providers aged > 40 years had a lower probability of developing anxiety and seemed to experience minimal depression. Conversely, frontline workers had a higher incidence of anxiety than that of depression. Being single (not in a relationship) could influence the PHQ-9 scores instead of those concerning the GAD-7. The gender gap was not proven to be significantly wide between healthcare professionals with or without anxiety; however, being male was proven to be positively correlated with depression.

CONCLUSION

In general, the risk factors for susceptibility to psychological problems among frontline healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic concerned those of a lower age, being single, being male, and being engage in frontline healthcare work.

"The measures taken by the government overburdened the daily practice" - insights of the PRICOV-19 study on German general practitioners in times of COVID-19

BACKGROUND

The international study PRICOV-19 aims to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the organisation of primary health care. The German part focuses on German general practitioners during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper addresses the following research questions: (1) How were changes in tasks on primary care and patient treatment perceived by GPs?, (2) What was the role of GPs during the pandemic, and how was their wellbeing?, (3) How did GPs perceive health policy measures?, and, (4) What influenced the attitudes of GPs on health policy measures?

METHODS

This study pursues a multi-country cross-sectional design. Data collection took place throughout Germany from 01.02. to 28.02.2021 with a quantitative online questionnaire consisting of 53 items. The questionnaire was analysed through descriptive and inferential analyses using correlation and multiple regression models.

RESULTS

The response rate was 20.4% (n = 349). The respondents were mainly GPs (59.6%) in single practices (62.5%) with a mean work experience of 15 to 20 years. GPs experienced a change in their work and practice organisation (80.3%). They felt a high responsibility (70.6%) and found their work has become more meaningful to them (76%). They also saw a lack of political support (75.2%) and that the measures taken by the government overburdened the daily practice (66.4%). Not many GPs were at risk of being distressed (53.4%) but rated the health policies rather negatively (60%). The multiple regression showed, the more GPs were exposed to risk of distress, the worse they assessed the government's measures.

CONCLUSION

GPs perceived their work as relevant and felt confident they could fulfil their tasks, but noticed that health policy initially hardly supported the outpatient sector. Health policies should increase their competence in relation to primary care, ensure its needs and consider an active inclusion of GPs in preparedness plans.

Implementation strategies, facilitators, and barriers to scaling up and sustaining task-sharing in family planning: a protocol for a mixed-methods systematic review

BACKGROUND

Ensuring access to quality family planning (FP) services is fundamental to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) targets 3.1, 3.7, and 5.6, including universal access to reproductive health services. However, barriers such as health workforce shortages and restrictive policies on the role of mid and lower-level health workforce cadres limit access to contraceptives and FP in many settings. Workforce reorganization makes more efficient use of human resources. Consequently, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends task-sharing for FP by different cadres. Evidence on the implementation strategies, facilitators, and barriers to scaling up and sustaining task-sharing could inform financing, implementation approaches, and technical assistance of national and global FP task-sharing programs. Therefore, this study aims to describe and assess the quality of the evidence on implementation strategies, facilitators, and barriers to scaling up and sustaining task-sharing in FP and the outcome of the scale-up/sustainability interventions.

METHODS

This systematic review protocol was developed using relevant guidelines, including the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) Protocols (PRISMA-P). A search of five databases, namely CINAHL (EBSCOhost), EMBASE (OvidSP), Global Health (OvidSP), MEDLINE (OvidSP), and Scopus ( www.scopus.com ), and gray literature resources will be conducted. Two independent reviewers will screen and select studies, assess their quality using the "Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool," and extract data from eligible studies. Publications or articles are eligible if they report implementation strategies, facilitators, or barriers to scaling up/sustainability of task-sharing in FP/contraception or the outcomes of the scale-up/sustainability interventions. A convergent synthesis that integrates qualitative, quantitative, descriptive, and mixed-methods data into one dataset will be used for analysis based on an a priori framework-the Cochrane Effective Practice and Organization of Care (EPOC) taxonomy of the health system framework. Two independent reviewers will assess the quality of evidence using the GRADE-CERQual guideline.

DISCUSSION

To our knowledge, this systematic review of implementation strategies, facilitators, and barriers to scaling up and sustaining task-sharing in family planning is the first in this area. Our rigorous methodology based on up-to-date guidelines can help generate relevant recommendations to support interventions to scale up and sustain task-sharing in family planning.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION

PROSPERO CRD42022339885.

Policies and Management Interventions to Enhance Health and Care Workforce Capacity for Addressing the COVID-19 Pandemic: Protocol for a Living Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

Countries and health systems have had to make challenging resource allocation and capacity-building decisions to promote proper patient care and ensure health and care workers' safety and well-being, so that they can effectively address the present COVID-19 pandemic as well as upcoming public health problems and natural catastrophes. As innovations are already in place and updated evidence is published daily, more information is required to inform the development and implementation of policies and interventions to improve health and care workforce capacity to address the COVID-19 pandemic response.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this protocol review is to identify countries' range of experiences with policies and management interventions that can improve health and care workers' capacity to address the COVID-19 pandemic response and synthesize evidence on the effectiveness of the interventions.

METHODS

We will conduct a living systematic review of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods studies and gray literature (technical and political documents) published in English, French, Hindi, Portuguese, Italian, and Spanish between January 1, 2000, and March 1, 2022. The databases to be searched are MEDLINE (PubMed), Embase, SCOPUS, and Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature. In addition, the World Health Organization's COVID-19 Research Database and the websites of international organizations (International Labour Organization, Economic Co-operation and Development, and The Health System Response Monitor) will be searched for unpublished studies and gray literature. Data will be extracted from the selected documents using an electronic form adapted from the Joanna Briggs Institute quantitative and qualitative tools for data extraction. A convergent integrated approach to synthesis and integration will be used. The risk of bias will be assessed with Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tools, and the certainty of the evidence in the presented outcomes will be assessed with the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation.

RESULTS

The database and gray literature search retrieved 3378 documents. Data are being analyzed by 2 independent reviewers. The study is expected to be published by the end of 2023 in a peer-reviewed journal.

CONCLUSIONS

This review will allow us to identify and describe the policies and strategies implemented by countries and their effectiveness, as well as identify gaps in the evidence.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

PROSPERO CRD42022327041; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=327041.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID)

RR1-10.2196/50306.

Critical care nursing workforce in crisis: A discussion paper examining contributing factors, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and potential solutions

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

The critical care nursing workforce is in crisis, with one-third of critical care nurses worldwide intending to leave their roles. This paper aimed to examine the problem from a wellbeing perspective, offering implications for research, and potential solutions for organisations.

DESIGN

Discursive/Position paper.

METHOD

The discussion is based on the nursing and wellbeing literature. It is guided by the authors' collaborative expertise as both clinicians and researchers. Data were drawn from nursing and wellbeing peer-reviewed literature, such as reviews and empirical studies, national surveys and government and thinktank publications/reports.

RESULTS

Critical care nurses have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic with studies consistently showing critical care nurses to have the worst psychological outcomes on wellbeing measures, including depression, burnout and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). These findings are not only concerning for the mental wellbeing of critical care nurses, they also raise significant issues for healthcare systems/organisations: poor wellbeing, increased burnout and PTSD are directly linked with critical care nurses intending to leave the profession. Thus, the wellbeing of critical care nurses must urgently be supported. Resilience has been identified as a protective mechanism against the development of PTSD and burnout, thus offering evidence-based interventions that address resilience and turnover have much to offer in tackling the workforce crisis. However, turnover data must be collected by studies evaluating resilience interventions, to further support their evidence base. Organisations cannot solely rely on the efficacy of these interventions to address their workforce crisis but must concomitantly engage in organisational change.

CONCLUSIONS

We conclude that critical care nurses are in urgent need of preventative, evidence-based wellbeing interventions, and make suggestions for research and practice.

"Like One Long Battle:" Employee Perspectives of the Simultaneous Impact of COVID-19 and an Electronic Health Record Transition

BACKGROUND

Healthcare organizations regularly manage external stressors that threaten patient care, but experiences handling concurrent stressors are not well characterized.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the experience of Veterans Affairs (VA) clinicians and staff navigating simultaneous organizational stressors-an electronic health record (EHR) transition and the COVID-19 pandemic-and identify potential strategies to optimize management of co-occurring stressors.

DESIGN

Qualitative case study describing employee experiences at VA's initial EHR transition site.

PARTICIPANTS

Clinicians, nurses, allied health professionals, and local leaders at VA's initial EHR transition site.

APPROACH

We collected longitudinal qualitative interview data between July 2020 and November 2021 once before and 2-4 times after the date on which the health system transitioned; this timing corresponded with local surges of COVID-19 cases. Interviewers conducted coding and analysis of interview transcripts. For this study, we focused on quotes related to COVID-19 and performed content analysis to describe recurring themes describing the simultaneous impact of COVID-19 and an EHR transition.

KEY RESULTS

We identified five themes related to participants' experiences: (1) efforts to mitigate COVID-19 transmission led to insufficient access to EHR training and support, (2) clinical practice changes in response to the pandemic impacted EHR workflows in unexpected ways, (3) lack of clear communication and inconsistent enforcement of COVID-19 policies intensified pre-existing frustrations with the EHR, (4) managing concurrent organizational stressors increased work dissatisfaction and feelings of burnout, and (5) participants had limited bandwidth to manage competing demands that arose from concurrent organizational stressors.

CONCLUSION

The expected challenges of an EHR transition were compounded by co-occurrence of the COVID-19 pandemic, which had negative impacts on clinician experience and patient care. During simultaneous organizational stressors, health care facilities should be prepared to address the complex interplay of two stressors on employee experience.

Social support for overcoming fear of contagion at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Cross-sectional study in Latin America

Background

The psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare professionals has been widely studied, along with different strategies to minimize it. However, professionals' assessment of the social support received and the factors that mitigated their fear of contagion have not been described. This study aimed to assess healthcare professionals' satisfaction with the social support and information received and their efforts to self-isolate to avoid infecting loved ones in Chile, Colombia, and Ecuador.

Methods

A cross-sectional online survey, conducted from July to September 2020 in three Latin American countries, elicited healthcare professionals' satisfaction with social support from colleagues, their community, the media, and scientific societies; as well as the information received about the evolution of the pandemic and measures to avoid contagion. The EASE scale was used to measure acute stress.

Results

Survey responses were received from 700 professionals. The response rate per country exceeded the estimated sample size except in the case of Colombia, which was 81.4%. In general, peer support was highly valued, though satisfaction was lower in high-risk units (p < 0.001). Those who directly assisted COVID-19 patients perceived the least community support (p = 0.023). Professionals from high-risk units (p = 0.013) and those who experienced greater acute stress (p = 0.05) assigned the lowest rating to the information offered by the centre on the pandemic. Men perceived more support from colleagues and better information from the centre than women (p < 0.05). Just 10.7% of professionals changed their residence during the pandemic, but those who worked in high-risk areas self-isolated more frequently (p = 0.026).

Conclusion

In the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare professionals in Chile, Colombia, and Ecuador greatly valued the support received from their peers. Being infected with COVID-19, working in high-risk areas, experiencing higher self-reported acute stress, and having an infected co-worker were predictors for self-isolation to protect their relatives. These results point to the appropriateness of putting in place institutional resources based on peer support and specific communication strategies and action protocols to build resilience and responsiveness to future health crises.

Coping Strategies Used by Health Care Workers in Ecuador During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Observational Study to Enhance Resilience and Develop Training Tools

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic has generated immense health care pressure, forcing critical decisions to be made in a socially alarmed environment. Adverse conditions have led to acute stress reactions, affective pathologies, and psychosomatic reactions among health personnel, which have been exacerbated by the successive waves of the pandemic. The recovery of the entire health system and its professionals has been hindered, making it essential to increase their resilience.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to achieve 2 primary objectives. First, it sought to identify coping strategies, both individual and organizational, used by health care workers in Ecuador to navigate the acute stress during the early waves of the pandemic. Second, it aimed to develop training materials to enhance team leaders' capabilities in effectively managing high-stress situations.

METHODS

The study used qualitative research techniques to collect information on institutional and personal coping strategies, as well as consensus-building techniques to develop a multimedia psychological tool that reinforces the resilience of professionals and teams in facing future crises.

RESULTS

The findings from the actions taken by health care workers in Ecuador were categorized into 4 types of coping strategies based on Lazarus' theories on coping strategies. As a result of this study, a new audiovisual tool was created, comprising a series of podcasts, designed to disseminate these strategies globally within the Spanish-speaking world. The tool features testimonials from health care professionals in Ecuador, narrating their experiences under the pressures of providing care during the pandemic, with a particular emphasis on the coping strategies used.

CONCLUSIONS

Ensuring the preparedness of health professionals for potential future outbreaks is imperative to maintain quality and patient safety. Interventions such as this one offer valuable insights and generate new tools for health professionals, serving as a case study approach to train leaders and improve the resilience capacity and skills of their teams.

Enhancing Nursing Care in Monkeypox (Mpox) Patients: Differential Diagnoses, Prevention Measures, and Therapeutic Interventions

Monkeypox (Mpox), a rare zoonotic viral infection caused by the monkeypox virus, has been gaining attention due to its potential for human-to-human transmission and its clinical resemblance to other poxvirus infections, such as smallpox and chickenpox. Enhancing nursing care for monkeypox patients is imperative to manage and contain its spread effectively. This review analyzes the key aspects of enhancing nursing care in monkeypox patients, focusing on differential diagnoses, prevention measures, and therapeutic interventions. Differential diagnosis is crucial in terms of the early recognition and management of monkeypox. Given its similarity to other poxvirus infections, a thorough assessment of clinical symptoms, travel history, and exposure to potential reservoir hosts is essential. Nursing professionals play a pivotal role in eliciting comprehensive patient histories and relaying this information to the medical team for accurate diagnosis. Prevention measures constitute a vital component of nursing care in monkeypox management. Implementing stringent infection prevention and control practices, including isolation protocols, personal protective equipment (PPE) usage, and hand hygiene, is imperative to curbing nosocomial transmission. Nurses are at the forefront of enforcing these measures, educating patients, families, and healthcare staff about their significance, and ensuring strict adherence. Therapeutic interventions in monkeypox largely focus on supportive care and symptom management. Nurses occupy a central role in administering antiviral medications, providing wound care for skin lesions, and monitoring patients for potential complications such as secondary bacterial infections. Psychosocial support is equally important, as patients often experience fear and anxiety due to the disease's contagious nature. Nursing professionals offer compassionate care, address patients' emotional needs, and facilitate communication between patients and their families. Enhancing nursing care for monkeypox entails a multifaceted approach involving differential diagnoses, prevention measures, and therapeutic interventions. Nursing professionals serve as frontline caregivers, pivotal in early diagnosis, effective prevention strategies, and comprehensive patient management. As the global healthcare community faces an influx of emerging infectious diseases, the lessons learned from managing monkeypox can contribute to the creation of a more resilient and responsive nursing workforce capable of effectively addressing future health challenges.

Paws to Care: Implementation of a Novel Medical Dog Office Hours Program to Foster Pediatric Health Care Staff Resilience and Joy

Burnout and resiliency are significant challenges among health care workers. Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) has shown to improve patient-level outcomes; however, AAT research involving hospital staff is limited. Our novel Medical Dog ("MD") Office Hours Program aimed to provide support to pediatric hospital staff and explore the program's impact on burnout. Participant surveys described work role and years of experience, well-being, and emotional/physical descriptions and symptoms. Of 149 participants, 85% endorsed baseline distress/burnout; nearly half had at-risk Well-Being Index scores. Compared with baseline, postintervention participants endorsed significantly fewer negative (more positive) emotions; greater feelings of comfort and energy; and decreased tiredness and pain (P < .0001). Readiness to return to work scores were high (M = 78.1, SD = 18.4). Our Medical Dog ("MD") Office Hours Program resulted in improvements in emotional descriptions and physical symptoms among pediatric health care staff. Leveraging AAT among health care staff may help mitigate burnout and increase resiliency.

Factors associated with suicide in physicians: a silent stigma and public health problem that has not been studied in depth

Suicide is a complex and multifaceted public health issue that affects individuals from all walks of life, including healthcare professionals such as physicians. According to research, physicians have a higher risk of suicide compared to the general population, with an estimated suicide rate that is two to three times greater than that of the general population. Suicide in physicians can have devastating consequences, not only for the individual but also for their patients and colleagues. The factors contributing to suicide in physicians are numerous and often interrelated. Physicians are exposed to numerous stressors in their daily lives, including long work hours, high workload, burnout, and exposure to traumatic events. These stressors can lead to mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders, which in turn can increase the risk of suicide. In addition to work-related stressors, personal factors such as relationship problems, financial stress, and a history of mental health problems can also contribute to suicide risk in physicians. Stigma and shame around seeking help for mental health issues may also prevent physicians from seeking treatment, exacerbating the problem. Understanding the complex factors that contribute to suicide in physicians is crucial for developing effective prevention strategies. For this reason, it is necessary to know the behavior of this phenomenon and the factors associated with a higher risk of suicide in this population. However, taking into account that different regions of the world vary in socioeconomic, cultural, professional, occupational, and health attributes, it is to be expected that the behavior of these risk factors will also be heterogeneous. At present, it is presumed that there is a significant gap in the evidence, due to a predominance of evidence on this topic from high-income countries. Considering the importance of having a comprehensive understanding of the risk factors for suicide in the medical population and possible strategies to mitigate this condition, the aim of this review is to analyze the most recent evidence on these factors, and to assess the quality of the evidence and gaps that need to be studied further.

Frontline Health Care Workers' Mental Health and Well-Being During the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Analysis of Interviews and Social Media Data

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic has shed light on fractures in health care systems worldwide and continues to have a significant impact, particularly in relation to the health care workforce. Frontline staff have been exposed to unprecedented strain, and delivering care during the pandemic has affected their safety, mental health, and well-being.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to explore the experiences of health care workers (HCWs) delivering care in the United Kingdom during the COVID-19 pandemic to understand their well-being needs, experiences, and strategies used to maintain well-being (at individual and organizational levels).

METHODS

We analyzed 94 telephone interviews with HCWs and 2000 tweets about HCWs' mental health during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

RESULTS

The results were grouped under 6 themes: redeployment, clinical work, and sense of duty; well-being support and HCW's coping strategies; negative mental health effects; organizational support; social network and support; and public and government support.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings demonstrate the need for open conversations, where staff's well-being needs and the strategies they adopted can be shared and encouraged, rather than implementing top-down psychological interventions alone. At the macro level, the findings also highlighted the impact on HCW's well-being of public and government support as well as the need to ensure protection through personal protective equipment, testing, and vaccines for frontline workers.

Evaluation of the mental health status of community frontline medical workers after the normalized management of COVID-19 in Sichuan, China

Background

During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, community medical workers, as the primary enforcers of community control measures, undertook many tasks with high exposure risk, resulting in severe psychological pressure, anxiety, depression and other psychological problems. Gender, type of workers, education, marital status, working years and other demographic factors were affect the mental state of medical workers. Community frontline medical workers gradually returned to normal work and life after the normalized management of COVID-19, but heavy work and high psychological pressure may continue to affect them. Thus, our research team used the same psychological questionnaire to investigate the psychological status of community frontline medical workers after the normalized management of COVID-19 compared with the COVID-19 period.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional study of community frontline medical workers in Sichuan, China, from February 6 to 17, 2023. Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90) and a self-designed questionnaire of demographic characteristics were provided to the participants point-to-point through a mobile network platform. Multiple logistic regression was used to analyze influencing factors related to community frontline medical workers' psychology.

Results

A total of 440 valid questionnaires were statistically analyzed, including 192 (43.64%) from doctors and 248 (56.36%) from nurses. There were 222 (50.45%) participants who were SCL-90 positive. The median total SCL-90 score of medical workers was 105.0 (IQR 95.00-123.75), which was higher than that during the COVID-19 period. The doctor's median SCL-90 score was 108.5 (IQR 96.00-136.25), and the positive item score was 16.5; the nurse's median score was 104.0 (IQR 94.00-119.50), and the positive item score was 12.0. Bachelor's degree education, no fixed contract and working years (10-19 years, 20-29 years, 30-39 years) were independent influencing factors for community frontline medical workers' psychology.

Conclusion

After the normalized management of COVID-19, community frontline medical workers still suffered from psychological problems that were even more serious than those during COVID-19. Doctors were more likely to have psychological problems than nurses. In addition, the mental health status of community frontline medical workers was affected by education, type of contract and working years. Managers should pay attention to the mental health of these people.

Evaluation of a Telehealth-Enabled Pilot Program to Address Intensive Care Unit Health Care Worker Mental Health Distress

Introduction

Health care workers (HCWs) are at heightened risk of adverse mental health events (AMHEs) and burnout with resultant impact on health care staffing, outcomes, and costs. We piloted a telehealth-enabled mental health screening and support platform among HCWs in the intensive care unit (ICU) setting at a tertiary care center.

Methods

A survey consisting of validated screening tools was electronically disseminated to a potential cohort of 178 ICU HCWs. Participants were given real-time feedback on their results and those at risk were provided invitations to meet with resiliency clinicians. Participants were further invited to engage in a 3-month longitudinal assessment of their well-being through repeat surveys and a weekly text-based check-in coupled with self-help tips. Programmatic engagement was evaluated and associations between at-risk scores and engagement were assessed. Qualitative input regarding programmatic uptake and acceptance was gathered through key informant interviews.

Results

Fifty (28%) HCWs participated in the program. Half of the participants identified as female, and most participants were white (74%) and under the age of 50 years (93%). Nurses (38%), physicians-in-training (24%), and faculty-level physicians (20%) engaged most frequently. There were 19 (38%) requests for an appointment with a resiliency clinician. The incidence of clinically significant symptoms of AMHEs and burnout was high but not clearly associated with engagement. Additional programmatic tailoring was encouraged by key informants while time was identified as a barrier to program engagement.

Discussion

A telehealth-enabled platform is a feasible approach to screening at-risk HCWs for AMHEs and can facilitate engagement with support services.

The impact of emotional support on healthcare workers and students coping with COVID-19, and other SARS-CoV pandemics - a mixed-methods systematic review

BACKGROUND

Pandemics such as COVID-19 pose threats to the physical safety of healthcare workers and students. They can have traumatic experiences affecting their personal and professional life. Increasing rates of burnout, substance abuse, depression, and suicide among healthcare workers have already been identified, thus making mental health and psychological wellbeing of the healthcare workers a major issue. The aim of this systematic review is to synthesize the characteristics of emotional support programs and interventions targeted to healthcare workers and students since the onset of COVID-19 and other SARS-CoV pandemics and to describe the effectiveness and experiences of these programs.

METHOD

This was a mixed method systematic review. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed, and the review was registered on PROSPERO [CRD42021262837]. Searches were conducted using Medline, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, and Scopus databases. The COVIDENCE systematic review management system was used for data selection and extraction by two independent reviewers. The JBI (Joanna Briggs Institute) critical appraisal tools were used to assess the quality of selected studies by two additional reviewers. Finally, data extraction and narrative analysis were conducted.

RESULTS

The search retrieved 3161 results including 1061 duplicates. After screening, a total of 19 articles were included in this review. Participants in studies were nurses, physicians, other hospital staff, and undergraduate medical students mostly working on the front-line with COVID-19 patients. Publications included RCTs (n = 4), quasi-experimental studies (n = 2), cross-sectional studies (n = 6), qualitative interview studies (n = 3), and systematic reviews (n = 4). Most (63.4%) of the interventions used online or digital solutions. Interventions mostly showed good effectiveness (support-seeking, positive emotions, reduction of distress symptoms etc.) and acceptance and were experienced as helpful, but there were some conflicting results.

CONCLUSION

Healthcare organizations have developed support strategies focusing on providing emotional support for these healthcare workers and students, but it is difficult to conclude whether one program offers distinct benefit compared to the others. More research is needed to evaluate the comparative effectiveness of emotional support interventions for health workers.

Implementation strategies to scale up self-administered depot medroxyprogesterone acetate subcutaneous injectable contraception: a scoping review

BACKGROUND

Self-administered depot medroxyprogesterone acetate subcutaneous injectable contraception (DMPA-SC) is registered in many countries. It shows great potential for improving contraceptive access, continuation, and autonomy. However, there are challenges in rolling out this new efficacious intervention, and major implementation problems have been encountered during scale-up.

OBJECTIVE

To describe the implementation strategies to scale up self-administered DMPA-SC and the barriers, facilitators, and outcomes of these programs.

METHOD

Recent guidelines, including the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) extension for scoping reviews, were used to design and report this review. An article or report was eligible for inclusion if it reported interventions that could scale up self-administered DMPA-SC implementation or its facilitators, barriers, or outcomes. We searched six electronic databases and the grey literature for eligible articles and reports. Two reviewers independently screened the document titles, abstracts, and full texts to identify eligible documents. Data were extracted using structured forms. Using the Effective Practice and Organization of Care (EPOC) taxonomy of health systems framework for thematic analysis, data were presented in a narrative approach.

RESULTS

Of the 755 retrieved documents, 34 were included in this review. Most of the documents included were multi-country reports (n = 14), and all documents were published within the last 5 years (2018-2021). This review identified documents that reported interventions in all EPOC domains. The most-reported interventions were: task-sharing amongst health workforce cadres, engaged leadership, encouraging policies, training and education, DMPA-SC demand generation, integration into existing programs, improved funding mechanisms, collaboration with development partners, and supply chain strengthening. The main barriers were suboptimal funding, inadequate human resources, and poor logistics supply of DMPA-SC. There was minimal evidence of scale-up outcomes.

CONCLUSION

This scoping review reported a wide range of interventions employed by countries and programs to scale up DMPA-SC self-administration but minimal evidence of the scale-up outcomes. Evidence from this review can help design better programs that improves access to quality family planning services to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) targets 3.7. However, efforts should focus on rigorous implementation research that assess scaled up self-administered DMPA-SC interventions and report their outcomes.

REGISTRATION

The protocol for this review was registered in the protocols.io repository ( https://www.protocols.io/view/a-protocol-for-a-scoping-review-of-implementation-x54v9yemmg3e/v1 ).

[Experiences and Resilience of Hygiene Team Members During the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic]

BACKGROUND

In compliance with German data protections regulations, we conducted an anonymous survey among participants of the annual infectious disease and control meeting in Freiburg, Germany in October 2021.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We report the results of nurse and physician members of infection control teams on their perceptions and emotions during the pandemic. Descriptive statistics and Chi Square Test with P<0.05 (SPSS Statistics Standard Version) were used when applicable.

RESULTS

Of the 391 of 750 distributed surveys, 391 were returned; 48% were infection control practitioners (IP), 12% Link Nurses (LN), 12% Board Certified Hospital Epidemiologists (HE), 17% infection control-trained physicians (ITP), 1% Occupational Health or Public Health specialists and 10% others. 72% were female, 25.3% male, 0.2% divers and 2.5% gave no answers. The 349 members of infection control teams (IP, LN, HE, ITP) reported a high level of competency, importance and appreciation and a low rate of anxiety or hopelessness. A quarter reported anger and frustration which nevertheless did not result in reduced motivation. Information provided by the German national health agency Robert Koch-Institute (RKI) was utilized most by participants. Social media, on the other hand, were criticized frequently. Cooperation within the institution and local public health authorities was good. Free text answers regarding lessons learned showed wide potential for improvement.

CONCLUSION

Our survey results indicate a high level of resilience among members of infection control teams in German medical institutions despite obvious shortcomings in supplies during the first wave of the pandemic. The high level of self-perceived competency and appreciation possibly helped deal with the situation and prevented the feeling of loss of control implied in the question items "feeling overwhelmed" and "hopeless". However, the lessons learned from the pandemic need to be implemented to maintain this high level of resilience not only for infection control teams but the medical system in general.

Health Workers' Burnout and COVID-19 Pandemic: 1-Year after-Results from a Repeated Cross-Sectional Survey

(1) Background: This study evaluates, one year later, the levels of burnout, anxious-depressive, and post-traumatic symptoms and the general health status in the Health Workers (HWs) involved in the SARS-COVID-19 pandemic in the Novara area. (2) Methods: The survey was sent via a link in an email to doctors, nurses, and other operators during the period between June and August 2021. The survey collected socio-demographic data and contained some self-administered questionnaires. (3) Results: A total of 688 HWs completed the survey, 53% were aged 30-49 years, 68% were female, 76% were cohabiting, 55% had children, 86% reported family habit changes, and 20% had non-COVID related health problems. Only a few of the respondents had a follow-up by a specialist (12%), of which there were even less in recent times (6%). It was observed that the respondents had undergone burnout; a poor state of general mental health (62%); depressive symptoms (70%); post-traumatic symptoms (29%); and less frequently, anxious symptoms (16%). The data of this study are in line with other studies in the literature. (4) Conclusions: The data indicate that psychological-based suffering was no longer markedly concentrated in some specific bands of HWs. In conclusion, it would be essential to enhance HW support strategies.

Effectiveness of psychological first aid in infectious disease pandemics: An overview of systematic reviews

There is insufficient research on the usefulness of psychological interventions, such as psychological first aid (PFA), during outbreaks. We searched for and critically appraised systematic reviews that examined the effectiveness of PFA during infectious disease outbreaks, such as the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Systematic reviews that examined the efficacy of PFA in the severe acute respiratory syndrome, Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus, Ebola virus disease, and COVID-19 outbreaks were searched through PubMed on February 19, 2021. The three included systematic reviews were critically appraised and assessed using AMSTAR-2. One review's overall confidence in its findings was evaluated as "high," which suggested that PFA training had a favorable effect on healthcare personnel. Furthermore, the review also demonstrated that PFA was commonly used during outbreaks and could be delivered through multiple methods, such as a phone or video call. Although it was anticipated that PFA would improve subjective well-being, reports showed no evidence of reduced depression or insomnia. Future studies should examine additional numbers of PFA recipients and conduct quasi-experimental studies to better understand the effectiveness of PFA. Evidence on its effectiveness in infectious disease outbreaks is still lacking, along with research and evaluation methods. Quasi-experimental studies, such as comparisons with other psychological interventions, are required to better understand the effectiveness of PFA.

Influence of spirituality on moral distress and resilience in critical care staff: A scoping review

OBJECTIVE

The Covid 19 pandemic has created a situation in which critical care staff experience moral distress. For reducing moral distress, resources such as spirituality can be used. The aim of this scoping review is to explore whether spirituality mitigates the moral distress of critical care staff and strengthens their resilience. The spiritual resources will be identified and the ability of the staff to use spiritual resources will be explored.

METHODOLOGY

A scoping review of studies reporting on the association between spirituality, moral distress, and resilience. Qualitative and quantitative studies from 2020 that examined critical care staff are included. This scoping review used the five-step framework proposed by Arksey and O'Malley and was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) framework for scoping reviews. The literature searches were conducted in 12 databases.

RESULTS

13 studies met inclusion criteria. Critical care staff declaring themselves as spiritual have a higher risk of moral distress and are often not able to use spiritual resources on their own. For effective use of spiritual resources to reduce moral distress, staff need to be skilled in the practice of spirituality with the aim to find inner peace, focus on the positive, and regain a sense of purpose in the work.

CONCLUSION

Spirituality does not automatically help the critical care staff to cope with moral distress and strengthen resilience. Institutions need to create conditions in which the critical care staff are supported to use their spiritual resources.

IMPLICATION FOR CLINICAL PRACTICE

Institutions need to involve staff more in the design, implementation, and delivery of spiritual interventions to minimise moral distress. Further research is necessary to examine the impact of critical care staff's demographic characteristics on their spirituality, moral distress, and resilience.

Effectiveness of a mental health stepped-care programme for healthcare workers with psychological distress in crisis settings: a multicentre randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Evidence-based mental health interventions to support healthcare workers (HCWs) in crisis settings are scarce.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the capacity of a mental health intervention in reducing anxiety and depression symptoms in HCWs, relative to enhanced care as usual (eCAU), amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

We conducted an analyst-blind, parallel, multicentre, randomised controlled trial. We recruited HCWs with psychological distress from Madrid and Catalonia (Spain). The intervention arm received a stepped-care programme consisting of two WHO-developed interventions adapted for HCWs: Doing What Matters in Times of Stress (DWM) and Problem Management Plus (PM+). Each intervention lasted 5 weeks and was delivered remotely by non-specialist mental health providers. HCWs reporting psychological distress after DWM completion were invited to continue to PM+. The primary endpoint was self-reported anxiety/depression symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire-Anxiety and Depression Scale) at week 21.

FINDINGS

Between 3 November 2021 and 31 March 2022, 115 participants were randomised to stepped care and 117 to eCAU (86% women, mean age 37.5). The intervention showed a greater decrease in anxiety/depression symptoms compared with eCAU at the primary endpoint (baseline-adjusted difference 4.4, 95% CI 2.1 to 6.7; standardised effect size 0.8, 95% CI 0.4 to 1.2). No serious adverse events occurred.

CONCLUSIONS

Brief stepped-care psychological interventions reduce anxiety and depression during a period of stress among HCWs.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

Our results can inform policies and actions to protect the mental health of HCWs during major health crises and are potentially rapidly replicable in other settings where workers are affected by global emergencies.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT04980326.

Environmental Factors in Nursing Workplaces that Promote Resilience during Pandemics: Scoping Review

AIM

This scoping review explored the main environmental factors in the workplace that contribute to nursing resilience in respiratory infectious pandemic events.

BACKGROUND

There is strong evidence in the literature about the influence of individual factors on nurses' resilience and a growing interest on the impact of the workplace environment on these factors. Therefore, a review that synthesizes environmental factors that support nurses' resilience in pandemic events is timely.

METHOD

A scoping review of publications written in English, Spanish, and Portuguese of registered publications until December 2020 in MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, Scopus, SciELO, CINAHL, WoS, BVS, and APA identified 10,767 potential papers. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines were used during the literature review process. The Health Services Workplace Environmental Resilience Model (HSWERM) was used to guide exploration and synthesis.

RESULTS

Thirty-two (32) publications met inclusion criteria. Most of the HSWERM workplace factors were mentioned in the literature. The main workplace environmental factors that were identified included communication, inter-professional collaboration, access to equipment, targeted training, and supporting well-being.

CONCLUSIONS

Recognition of these key environmental factors in the workplace will help to implement more effective actions to promote resiliency prior to and during emergency situations. It will also enable managers to include, in any preparation planning, contingencies to protect these factors with the view of sustainable resilience of nursing staff throughout the emergency event.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the health and working conditions of nurses and its implications for policies: a cross-sectional study in Slovakia

BACKGROUND

Increased workload and of the health workforce (HW) strained the capacity to maintain essential health services (EHS) during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, while putting them at increased risk of COVID-19 and other consequences to their health. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of COVID-19 on the health, wellbeing, and working conditions of nurses in Slovakia and to identify gaps in policies to be addressed to increase preparedness of the HW for future emergencies.

METHODS

A nation-wide cross-sectional study was conducted among nurses during November-December 2021, referring to the period of January 2021 to November 2021. To assess the differences between impact on HW on various levels of care, respondents were grouped by type of facility: hospital-COVID-19 wards; Hospital-non-covid ward; Outpatient or ER; Other care facilities.

RESULTS

1170 nurses participated, about 1/3 of them tested positive for COVID-19 by November 2021, mostly developing mild disease. Almost 2/3 reported long-covid symptoms and about 13% reported that they do not plan to get vaccinated against COVID-19. The median of the score of the impact of workload on health was 2.8 (56% of the maximum 5), the median score of mental health-wellbeing was 1.9 (63% of a maximum of 3). The studied impacts in all domains were highest in nurses working in COVID-19 hospital wards. Significant disruptions of health care were reported, with relatively high use of telemedicine to mitigate them. Overall, about 70% of the respondents thought of leaving their job, mostly due to working stress or inadequate pay.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study showed that the COVID-19 pandemic poses a substantial burden on the health, wellbeing and working conditions of nurses in Slovakia and that a large proportion of nurses considered leaving their jobs because of work overload or low salaries. Human resource strategies should be adopted to attract, retain and continuously invest in HW development including in emergency preparedness and response. Such an approach may improve the resilience and preparedness of the health system in Slovakia for future emergencies.

Burial workers' perceptions of community resistance and support systems during an Ebola outbreak in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo: a qualitative study

BACKGROUND

Community Health Workers (CHWs) provide vital services during disease outbreaks. Appropriate burials of those who died from an infectious disease outbreak is a critical CHW function to prevent infection and disease spread. During the 2018 Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak in Beni Town, North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo, we sought to understand the levels of understanding, trust, and cooperation of the community in response to the outbreak, the barriers burial workers faced in their health work and its impact on local burial workers and other CHWs.

METHODS

12 EVD burial CHWs in Beni Town completed an hour-long qualitative in-depth interview on their experiences. They were recruited from a local counseling center. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and translated into English. A team of 3 researchers identified structural and emergent themes using applied thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Workers reported major misconceptions in the community surrounding the initiation of the outbreak. Community misconceptions were based on widespread governmental mistrust as well as a belief system that intertwines traditional and scientific understandings of the world. EVD burial workers identified violence directed at them and community misinformation as the two largest barriers to effectively carrying out their work. They named several important support systems including family and friends, personal relaxation techniques, and a local counseling center.

CONCLUSIONS

As with other disease outbreaks globally, we found that government mistrust and religious beliefs strongly impacted community perceptions of the EVD outbreak. Previous studies have demonstrated clinic-based medical personnel are often the targets of violence. Our research shows that burial workers were also targeted and exposed to extreme levels of violence in their work. Along with their ability to effectively respond to the outbreak, violence has a negative impact on their own mental wellbeing. Burial workers found group counseling sessions to be an effective tool for managing the stress associated with their work. Further developing and testing of group-based interventions for this group is a priority for future research.

Working conditions for healthcare workers at a Swedish university hospital infectious disease department during the COVID-19 pandemic: barriers and facilitators to maintaining employee wellbeing

Background

Healthcare workers (HCWs) at infectious disease departments have held the frontline during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to identify barriers and facilitators to maintaining the employees' wellbeing that may be used to increase preparedness for future pandemics within ID Departments.

Methods

In September 2020, a web-based survey on demographics and work environment was distributed to all HCWs at the Infectious Disease Department at Sahlgrenska University Hospital. Results were compared with a pre-COVID-19 survey from October 2019. A quantitative analysis of the overall effects of the pandemic on the working conditions of HCWs was conducted; in addition, a qualitative content analysis of open-ended responses was performed.

Results

In total, 222 and 149 HCWs completed the pre-COVID-19 and COVID-19 surveys (84 and 54% response rate), respectively. Overall, we found significant changes regarding increased workload, lack of emotional support in stressful work situations, and inability to recover after shifts. These factors correlated both with younger age and concern of becoming infected. The open-ended answers (n = 103, 69%) revealed five generic categories (Workload; Organizational support; Worry and ethical stress; Capability; and Cooperation and unity) with a total of 14 identified factors representing plausible individual and organizational-level barriers or facilitators to sustained employee wellbeing.

Conclusion

Younger HCWs as well as those expressing worries about contracting the infection were found to be particularly affected during the COVID-19 pandemic and these groups may require additional support in future outbreaks. Factors both increasing and decreasing the pandemic-induced negative health consequences for HCWs were identified; this knowledge may be utilized in the future.

A rapid review of evaluated interventions to inform the development of a resource to support the resilience of care home nurses

BACKGOUND

Nurses working in care homes face significant challenges that are unique to that context. The importance of effective resilience building interventions as a strategy to enable recovery and growth in these times of uncertainty have been advocated. The aim of this rapid review was to inform the development of a resource to support the resilience of care home nurses. We explored existing empirical evidence as to the efficacy of resilience building interventions. undertaken with nurses.

METHODS

We undertook a rapid review using quantitative studies published in peer reviewed journals that reported resilience scores using a valid and reliable scale before and after an intervention aimed at supporting nurse resilience. The databases; Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Medline and PsychInfo. and the Cochrane Library were searched. The searches were restricted to studies published between January 2011 and October 2021 in the English language. Only studies that reported using a validated tool to measure resilience before and after the interventions were included.

RESULTS

Fifteen studies were included in this rapid review with over half of the studies taking place in the USA. No studies reported on an intervention to support resilience with care home nurses. The interventions focused primarily on hospital-based nurses in general and specialist contexts. The interventions varied in duration content and mode of delivery, with interventions incorporating mindfulness techniques, cognitive reframing and holistic approaches to building and sustaining resilience. Thirteen of the fifteen studies selected demonstrated an increase in resilience scores as measured by validated and reliable scales. Those studies incorporating 'on the job,' easily accessible practices that promote self-awareness and increase sense of control reported significant differences in pre and post intervention resilience scores.

CONCLUSION

Nurses continue to face significant challenges, their capacity to face these challenges can be nurtured through interventions focused on strengthening individual resources. The content, duration, and mode of delivery of interventions to support resilience should be tailored through co-design processes to ensure they are both meaningful and responsive to differing contexts and populations.

Addressing Psychosocial, Organizational, and Environmental Stressors Emerging From the COVID-19 Pandemic and Their Effect on Essential Workers' Mental Health and Well-being: A Literature Review

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to identify stressors faced by essential workers amid the coronavirus disease pandemic and effective interventions mitigating these stressors.

METHODS

We reviewed literature on psychosocial, organizational, and environmental stressors faced by essential workers during the pandemic, the consequences of those stressors, and interventions to improve worker health and well-being.

FINDINGS

Stressors included elevated risk of coronavirus disease 2019 exposure, fear of spreading the virus, lack of social and organizational supports, and financial insecurity. Negative outcomes included burnout, depression, and high turnover. Promising interventions included robust safety protocols, increased wages, childcare benefits, enhanced access to mental health services, and frequent leadership communications.

CONCLUSION

Stress has taken a heavy toll on essential workers' physical and emotional health, productivity, and job satisfaction. To effectively protect Total Worker Health, employers should adopt evidence-based interventions promoting psychosocial, organizational, and environmental health and safety.

Experience of chinese counter-marching nurses with COVID-19 patients' death in Wuhan: a qualitative study

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic was occurring worldwide with over a 6.5 million deaths. It's important to explore the instructions for the global nursing community by identifying the personal coping methods of Chinese nurses in Wuhan to deal with patient deaths.

METHODOLOGY

The study used a qualitative conventional content analysis with 14 Chinese Counter-marching nurses. Purposive sampling, snowball sampling, and semi-structured interviews were used for participants and data collection. To assess the quality of the findings, Guba and Lincoln's criteria for confidence were fulfilled.

RESULTS

The data analysis results in 4 main categories:(1) psychological shocks related to COVID-19 patient's death; (2) personal psychological adjustment and demands; (3) insights on life and values; (4) Needs for relevant knowledge and skills.

CONCLUSIONS

During the outbreak of the epidemic or pandemic, adequate psychological care resources need to be provided to nurses when facing the death of infectious patients, to reduce the negative emotions brought by death. Effective coping strategies should also be formulated to enhance their resilience and promote their professional competence.