Nurses' willingness to work with COVID-19 patients: The role of knowledge and attitude

Dialysis nurses' knowledge, attitude, practices, and self-efficacy regarding vascular access care: A multicenter cross-sectional survey in Singapore

BACKGROUND

Dialysis nurses play a pivotal role in the management of vascular access (VA), physician-patient liaison, and patient education for hemodialysis patients. This multicenter study aims to review the dialysis nurses' knowledge, attitude, practice, and self-efficacy toward providing care for patients' VA.

METHODS

A multi-centered study was conducted using a self-administered survey. Nurses from 47 Singapore dialysis centers (five hospital-based and 42 community-based) providing hemodialysis were invited to participate on a voluntary and anonymous basis from April to November 2022. The survey consists of nurses' knowledge on VA (10 items), attitude on VA care (six items), usual practices (seven items), and self-efficacy in VA cannulation and management (six items). The total scores for the knowledge, attitude, and self-efficacy components were 50, 30, and 30 respectively. The instrument has been validated in a pilot study.

RESULTS

In total, five hundred sixteen dialysis nurses participated the survey. The mean (±SD) knowledge score of the participants toward VA care was 30.0 (±8.1) over a total score of 50. The means (±SD) of their attitude and self-efficacy scores were 24.4 (±4.1) and 24.2 (±3.1) over 30 respectively. The majority of the nurses (84.1% in hospital-based centers and 98.9% in community-based centers) conducted patient education in some aspects of VA care. The percentage of nurses indicated need for referral to access specialists due to various abnormalities varied significantly between the hospital-based and community-based settings. In the multivariable linear regression analysis, longer working experience was a significant factor for higher knowledge score (B = 0.26; p = 0.001), attitude score (B = 0.08; p = 0.01), and self-efficacy score (B = 0.34; p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Dialysis nurses in Singapore have satisfactory knowledge, practice, and self-efficacy on VA care. The majority of them expressed positive opinions toward the VA-related training they received, new technologies, and communications. The identified knowledge and practice gaps could be incorporated into the future training programs.

Work stressors and intention to leave among nurses in isolation nursing units during COVID-19: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Work stressors are associated with physical and psychological health problems among workers and thus increase their intentions to leave work. Various factors, including fear of infection, workload, and inadequate support, caused nurses especially those on the front lines during the COVID-19 pandemic greater stress.

AIM

This study aims to identify Jordanian nurses' perceptions of work stressors and their intention to leave, and to investigate the relationship between these variables among nurses working in isolation units during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted. A convenience sample of 154 nurses who worked with COVID-19 patients participated in this study. Questionnaires were distributed online.

RESULTS

A total of 154 nurses participated in the study, with an average age of 29.59 years. A majority of nurses (61.1%) were employed in COVID-19 isolation units for a duration of 6 to 8 months. Of the work-related stresses, the mean score was 3.17; 85.7% of respondents reported a positive level of stress. Intent to leave had a mean score of 4.03; 57.8% of respondents showed a slightly positive intention. Work stresses and intention to leave showed a modest, positive significant correlation (r = 0.52, p = 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

In COVID-19 isolation units, Jordanian nurses' work stresses were positively correlated with their intention to leave. Lower-educated and single nurses were more stressed and likely to leave. Based on the findings, targeted stress-reduction programs are needed. Nursing retention and healthcare system sustainability amid public health emergencies depend on supportive, well-resourced workplaces.

Willingness of medical students to work on the COVID-19 frontline during the pandemic in China: A nationwide population-based cross-sectional study

Background

The World Health Organization declared that coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) constitutes an international public health emergency, which has strained health resources. In this study, we aimed to understand medical students' willingness to join the workforce fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic and identify factors associated with their decisions.

Methods

We conducted a nationwide cross-sectional study using the Wen-Juan-Xing platform and a pre-designed questionnaire from 23 March to 19 April 2021. We conducted logistic regression analyses to identify the determinants associated with the willingness.

Results

Among the 5022 medical students, the majority (n = 4289, 85.40%) expressed willingness to work on the COVID-19 frontline. Logistic regression indicated that medical students' willingness to work on the COVID-19 frontline in China was associated with gender, region, reason for choosing medicine, having medical workers in the family, students whose family members, relatives or friends experienced COVID-19, and professional attitude. Females (odds ratio (OR) = 1.305; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.100-1.549; P = 0.0023), medical students from urban areas (OR = 1.295; 95% CI = 1.089-1.539; P = 0.0034), medical students whose choice of a medical career was their desire (OR = 1.579; 95% CI = 1.290-1.933; P < 0.0001), medical students whose parents or relatives are medical workers (OR = 1.266; 95% CI = 1.066-1.505; P = 0.0073), medical students whose family members, relatives, or friends have never been infected with COVID-19 (OR = 4.567; 95% CI = 3.002-6.947; P < 0.0001), and medical students with undisturbed of professional attitudes (OR = 4.280; 95% CI = 3.241-5.654; P < 0.0001) showed increased willingness to work on the COVID-19 frontline compared with their counterparts.

Conclusions

Medical students demonstrated a strong willingness to contribute to COVID-19 work during the pandemic in China. The findings may provide valuable information for emergency management so that policymakers can maintain sufficient health resources and provide quality health care in similar health emergencies in the future.

Factors influencing willingness to provide palliative care among nurses in South Korea: a descriptive study

BACKGROUND

The need for nurses to provide high-quality palliative care in clinical settings is increasing with the expansion of the need for palliative care. This study aimed to identify the degree of willingness to provide palliative care among nurses in Korea, and to explore factors that influence this willingness.

METHODS

Participants were 160 nurses employed in five general hospitals in South Korea, with a clinical career of over one year. Data were collected using an online questionnaire between January and February 2023, that assessed nurses' knowledge and perception of palliative care, meaning of life, compassion competence, and degree of willingness to provide palliative care. Differences in willingness to provide palliative care based on general characteristics were analysed using an independent t-test and one-way analysis of variance. Correlations between the research variables and willingness to provide palliative care were analysed using Pearson's correlation coefficients. Hierarchical regression was conducted to explore the factors affecting willingness to palliative care.

RESULTS

The degree of willingness to provide palliative care among nurses was 74.43 ± 9.73 (Range 50-100). In the final model, it was found that the willingness to palliative care was affected in the order of: compassion competence (β = 0.48, p < .001), perception of palliative care (β = 0.18, p = .005), and clinical experience (β = 0.15, p = .026). The explanatory power of the model was 41.4% (F = 17.01; p < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

Perceptions of palliative care, clinical experience, and compassion competence were identified as factors influencing nurses' willingness to provide palliative care. Based on this study, it is necessary to provide education and training that includes content that can increase nurses' awareness of palliative care and improve their compassion competence to promote their willingness to provide palliative care.

Exploring the concept and management strategies of caring stress among clinical nurses: a scoping review

Objective

The concept of caring stress and its specific management has received less attention than other dimensions of stress in nurses. Therefore, to clarify the concept of caring stress, a scoping review study was designed. This scoping review aimed to investigate the concept of caring stress among clinical nurses and examine the strategies used for its management.

Methods

This review employed a scoping review methodology to comprehensively map the essential concepts and attributes of the phenomenon by drawing on a wide range of sources. International databases including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Scientific Information Database (SID) were searched to gather relevant studies published until October 1, 2023. MESH terms included "caring stress", "care", "stress", "nurse", and "stress management" were used. Two reviewers independently collected data from full-text papers, ensuring that each paper underwent assessment by at least two reviewers.

Results

Out of 104,094 articles initially searched, 22 articles were included in this study. High workloads, transmitting the infection, stressful thoughts, stressful emotions, and stressful communications were the significant concepts and factors of caring stress among nurses. Also, rest breaks during patient care shifts, playing music in the ward, and denial of critical situations were examples of positive and negative coping and management ways to reduce caring stress.

Conclusion

Effective stress management strategies can lead to better patient care and safety. Stressed nurses are more likely to make errors or become less vigilant in their duties, impacting patient outcomes. By addressing caring stress, clinical practice can prioritize patient well-being. Further research is required to delve deeper into this critical issue concerning nurses in the future.

Stigma and inequality in the management of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19)- patients among healthcare providers in Saudi Arabia and associated beliefs: A cross sectional study

BACKGROUND

Stigma and discrimination (SAD) can greatly impact the management of Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19) patients. Studies examining SAD in managing COVID-19 patients in Saudi Arabia (SA) are limited. This study examined the discrimination and inequality in treating COVID-19 patients and the associated beliefs among healthcare workers (HCWs) during the pandemic.

METHODS

This was a cross sectional study using an online self-administrated questionnaire by 414 HCWs from September 2022 to January 2023.

RESULTS

Of the 414 participants, 53.4% aged 18-30 years, were males (53.4%), mostly Saudi (82.1%), and residents of western SA (90.8%). Almost one-third of the participants (32.1%) were physicians, and 23.7% were pharmacists. 53.1% of the HCWs had work experience < 5 years, 49.3% either had a current/previous COVID-19 infection and 10.1% (n = 42) reported treating ≥ 2000 COVID-19 patients. Most of the participants had not received training on avoiding discrimination against COVID-19 patients (n = 246; 59.4%) and denied receiving any incentives from their institution (n = 294; 71%) or community (n = 248; 59.9%) during the pandemic. Less than 20% of the HCWs had observed some sort of discrimination in providing care for COVID-19 patients. The responses significantly differed by nationality, educational level, specialty, workplace and COVID-19 infection status (P < 0.05). Approximately, 20% of the participants held negative beliefs about COVID-19 patients and these responses varied significantly by nationality, work experience, workplace, gender, and age (p < 0.05). Cross-tabulation and regression analyses showed some differences by gender, workplace, specialty and COVID-19 infection status.

CONCLUSIONS

There was a low prevalence of negative beliefs about COVID-19 patients and a low prevalence of discriminatory behaviors in providing care for these patients in SA. Training and governmental regulations could further lower the prevalence of SAD against COVID-19 patients.

From pervasive chaos to evolutionary transition: The experience of healthcare providers during the COVID-19 pandemic

AIM

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic confronted healthcare providers, especially physicians and nurses, with many unprecedented changes and physical and psychological pressures. This study aimed to explore the healthcare providers' experiences providing healthcare services for patients during the COVID-19 pandemic in "Golestan, Northeast Iran".

DESIGN

Qualitative, conventional content analysis.

METHODS

A total of 13 eligible participants were recruited through the purposeful sampling method. Data were gathered using semi-structured in-depth individual interviews. Transcripts were analysed using an inductive content analysis based on the Elo and Kyngas model. The COREQ checklist was used to prepare the manuscript.

RESULTS

The analysis of the data in this study led to the development of 16 subthemes and 5 themes emerged as follows pervasive chaos, imposed difficulties, paradoxical perceptions, committed efforts, and constructive transition.

CONCLUSION

The experience of HCPs during the COVID pandemic in "Iran" showed that despite the physical, mental, emotional, and social consequences, a kind of constructive evolution and transition has also taken place in personal, professional, and organizational dimensions. It is suggested that managers while strengthening and protecting the capabilities and skills that have emerged, to reduce the tensions of HCPs, have developed programs for comprehensive support from them in physical, psychological, social, and financial dimensions.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

It is necessary to improve inter-professional cooperation, empathy, teamwork, professional commitment, and continuous learning in crises.

Factors Associated With Work Engagement of Nurses During the Fifth Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Japan: Web-Based Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought to light the prevalence of mental health issues among nurses. Work engagement (WE) is a concept that describes work-related positive psychological states and is of importance within mental health measures. There is, however, a lack of research on factors associated with the WE of nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to determine which factors are associated with WE among nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic using the job demands-resources (JD-R) model as a framework.

METHODS

A web-based cross-sectional survey was conducted among nurses working in acute care and psychiatric institutions in the prefectures of Chiba and Tokyo in Japan. The survey period occurred between August 8 and September 30, 2021, during a time when the number of patients with a positive COVID-19 infection increased. The 3-item version of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-3) was used to measure WE. Factors such as age, gender, years of experience, affiliated ward, COVID-19-related stress, financial rewards from the government and hospital, encouragement from the government and patients, and workplace social capital were assessed. A total of 187 participants were included in the final analysis. Multiple regression analysis was performed to examine the factors related to WE. Partial regression coefficients (B), 95% CI, and P values were calculated.

RESULTS

The mean overall score for the UWES-3 was 3.19 (SD 1.21). Factors negatively associated with UWES-3 were COVID-19-related stress on work motivation and escape behavior (Β -0.16, 95% CI -0.24 to -0.090; P<.001), and factors positively associated with UWES-3 were affiliation of intensive care units (Β 0.76, 95% CI 0.020-1.50; P=.045) and financial rewards from the government and hospital (Β 0.40, 95% CI 0.040-0.76; P=.03).

CONCLUSIONS

This study examined factors related to WE among nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic using the JD-R model. When compared with findings from previous studies, our results suggest that nurses' WE was lower than before the COVID-19 pandemic. Negative motivation and escape behaviors related to COVID-19 were negatively associated with WE, while there were positive associations with financial rewards from the government and hospital and affiliation with an intensive care unit. Further research into larger populations is needed to confirm these findings.

Emotions, Perceived Stressors, and Coping Strategies Among Nursing Staff in Saudi Arabia During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Objective The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in heightened stress for nurses and other healthcare workers, particularly during the initial phase of the crisis. Despite the adoption of various coping strategies, psychological distress persisted, affecting nurses' well-being and jeopardizing the overall resilience of the healthcare system. This study assessed the emotional response, perceived stressors, and coping strategies among nurses' staff who worked during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic. Method A cross-sectional study was carried out among nurses who worked during the initial phase of the COVID-19 crisis (June - August 2020), at a tertiary care center in Western Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire explored five main sections. The first section (15 items) assessed emotions experienced during the initial wave of COVID-19, capturing both positive and negative sentiments, such as "joy" or "fear." The second section (20 items) examined the presence of stressors, like "lack of protective equipment" or "fear of infection." The third section (14 items) evaluated the perceived effectiveness of certain stress-reducing factors, including "peer support" or "training." In the fourth section (13 items), participants rated their usage frequency of various coping strategies, such as "meditation" or "seeking advice." Lastly, the fifth section assessed the hypothetical impact of 10 incentives, like "financial bonuses" or "additional training," in motivating nurses' involvement in future epidemic responses. The questionnaire was completed with demographic and professional data. A convenience sampling method was employed, and 315 nurses participated in the study. Descriptive statistics were carried out using SPSS version 24 for Windows (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). Result The most commonly experienced emotion was a feeling of responsibility and ethical duty, reported by 97.5% of the participants, followed by nervousness and fear (83.8%), anger (73.3%), and stigma (70.2%). On the other hand, 86.7% were expecting a financial compensation. The most common stressors were related to the nurses' own safety, or the safety of their families and colleagues, reported by 92.4-95.2% of the participants. The perceived uncontrollability of COVID-19 was also a significant stressor. The improvement of the health status of infected colleagues (98.1%) or patients (97.5%) were the most common factors associated with the reduction in nurses' stress. Among the coping strategies, five were almost systematically deployed by the nurses (>95%), all consisting of cognitive and behavioral mechanisms to enhance own knowledge and safety and avoid being infected. The most crucial determinants for commitment in future pandemics are the availability of a cure or vaccine (93.3%), family support (91.4%), adequate personal protective equipment from the hospital (90.8%), and exemption from overtime (90.2%). Conclusion The first wave of COVID-19 exerted a tremendous psychological stress on nurses, due to concerns about safety, disease uncertainties, and social isolation. Analyzing these impacts offers insights for enhancing institutional and national crisis strategies, emphasizing staff safety and psychological well-being, especially for first responders like nurses. Policy implications include prioritizing mental health support and preparedness in future crisis plans. Additionally, ensuring continuous training and strategic workload management is crucial for maintaining frontline commitment.

Impacts of COVID-19 Pandemic on Three IVF Clinics of Jakarta, Indonesia: A Retrospective Qualitative and Quantitative Study

BACKGROUND

Corona virus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic also led to a reduction or even the suspension of elective health services. These decisions affected in vitro fertilization (IVF) programs worldwide. Therefore, it is essential to map the readiness of IVF clinics in providing safety in this situation and in the future.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This is a retrospective qualitative and quantitative research done in 2021 that involved three IVF clinics of Jakarta, Indonesia. Those three clinics were government-owned, private-owned, and educational and training center. The qualitative data of each clinic's readiness towards COVID-19 was obtained from interviews with the clinics staff. The quantitative data were collected from the clinics patients' number and demographic data from 2019-2021 as well as from COVID-19 databases. Both data sets were analysed descriptively and only for the quantitative analysis Stata version 16 was used.

RESULTS

There were changes in the domiciles and number of patients attending the three clinics. The ratio of patients from Jakarta increased while patients from outside Java Island decreased. There was a drop in annual patient numbers in 2020. However, from June 2020 to December 2021, the number of monthly IVF cycles increased significantly by 3.5 cycles per month (P=0.001). There was no association between IVF patients' attendance numbers and COVID-19 cases (P=0.785). One of the clinics had a negative pressure operating theatre, which made them more confident in treating patients with COVID-19 positive and made them even had higher IVF cycles started than the pre-pandemic period.

CONCLUSION

Those three clinics are prepared in facing COVID-19, as they complied with government regulations. As the COVID-19 pandemic progressed, the number of patients gradually returned to normal.

The safety, health, and well-being of healthcare workers during COVID-19: A scoping review

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the safety and well-being of healthcare workers. A scoping review was conducted to highlight the impact of COVID-19 on the safety, health, and well-being of healthcare workers and to shed light on the concerns about their perceived safety and support systems. A literature search was conducted in three different databases from December 1, 2019, through July 20, 2022, to find publications that meet the aim of this review. Using search engines, 3087 articles were identified, and after a rigorous assessment by two reviewers, 30 articles were chosen for further analysis. Two themes emerged during the analysis: safety and health and well-being. The primary safety concern of the staff was mostly about contracting COVID-19, infecting family members, and caring for patients with COVID-19. During the pandemic, the health care workers appeared to have anxiety, stress, uncertainty, burnout, and a lack of sleep. Additionally, the review focused on the suggestions of health care providers to improve the safety and well-being of workers through fair organizational policies and practices and timely, individualized mental health care.

Coping strategies adopted by frontline nurses in dealing with COVID-19 patients in a developing country during the pandemic: A qualitative study

AIM

This study aimed to explore the coping strategies adopted by frontline nurses in dealing with COVID-19 patients during the pandemic in Bangladesh.

DESIGN

A qualitative descriptive study.

METHODS

Purposive sampling was used to recruit seventeen frontline nurses from three COVID-19-specific hospitals in Dhaka City. In-depth online interviews and semi-structured questionnaires were used to collect data through the Google Meet platform. Interview sessions audio-video were recorded, interpreted, analysed, verbatim transcribed and quotes of the participants were verified by member checking. Thematic analysis was used in this research. The study's reporting guidelines were based on the consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research.

RESULTS

Seven themes were identified after careful data analysis: (i) A positive attitude in dealing with challenging situation, (ii) Intimate partner's influence, (iii) Self-emotional regulation, (iv) The tendency to avoid negativity, (v) Motivated by professional obligations, (vi) Religious influence, (vii) Recreational activities.

NO PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

This study explored various coping strategies employed by frontline nurses in caring for COVID-19 patients. No patient or public contribution was investigated.

Determinants of vaccine acceptance, knowledge, attitude, and prevention practices against COVID-19 among governmental healthcare workers in Addis Ababa and Adama, Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study

Background and Aims

COVID-19 vaccines are vital tools for infection prevention and control of the pandemic. However, coronavirus immunization requires acceptance among healthcare workforces and by the community. In Ethiopia, studies focused on determinants of vaccine acceptance, knowledge, attitude, and prevention practices (KAP) contrary to the novel coronavirus among healthcare staff are limited. Hence, closing this gap requires research.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted on 844 governmental healthcare workers. A stratified, simple random sampling technique was used to select the respondents. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire. Binary and multivariable logistic regression statistical models were used to analyze the data.

Results

This study indicated that only 57.9% of the participants had good COVID-19 vaccine acceptance, meaning they took at least a dose of the vaccine themselves. We found that 65%, 60.9%, and 51.3% of the participants had good knowledge, prevention practices, and attitude against the pandemic. The novel coronavirus vaccine acceptance rate was 2.19 times more likely among females (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.19 with 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.54-3.10) than among male participants. Further, respondents who did not report having any chronic diseases were 9.40 times higher to accept COVID-19 vaccines (AOR = 9.40 with 95% CI: 4.77, 18.53) than those who reported having a chronic condition. However, healthcare workers who had a habit of chewing khat at least once per week were 4% less likely to take the vaccine (AOR = 0.04 with 95% CI: 0.01, 0.32) than those who had no habit of chewing khat.

Conclusion

Many core factors influencing COVID-19 vaccine acceptance were identified. A significant number of participants had poor vaccine acceptance, KAP against COVID-19. Therefore, the government should adopt urgent and effective public health measures, including public campaigns to enhance public trust in COVID-19 vaccines. In addition, continuous, timely, and practical training should be provided to healthcare workers.

Nurses' duty to care during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional survey

Background

Despite the increased demand for nurses worldwide, discussion of nurses’ duty to care is lacking. This study aimed to examine nurses’ duty to care during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and to identify the influencing factors.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional descriptive research study that used a structured online questionnaire. Registered Korean nurses answered a demographic questionnaire and the Nash Duty to Care Scale.

Results

Age and employment at tertiary hospitals increased nurses’ duty to care. Male sex, a highly educated status, and employment at tertiary hospitals increased the perceived risk. Male sex and employment at tertiary or general hospitals increased confidence in the employer, while a high level of education and a longer total clinical career decreased the same. Age and a higher monthly wage increased perceived obligation. Age, lack of religious beliefs, and clinical experience of 3–7 years increased professional preparedness.

Conclusion

Without enough nursing manpower, the disaster response system could prove to be inefficient. Considering that adequate nurse staffing is essential in disaster management, it is crucial to ensure that nurses have a will to provide care in the case of disaster. In the future, a more active discussion on nurses’ duty to care and additional research on factors that may hinder and facilitate the same are needed.

Factors influencing caring behaviour among registered nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic in China: A qualitative study using the COM-B framework

AIM

The aim of this work is to explore the influencing factors of nurses' caring behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic based on the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation as determinants of Behaviour (COM-B) theoretical framework.

BACKGROUND

Nurse caring behaviour is vital to reduce and speed up the healing process of COVID-19 patients. It is important to understand the factors that influence caring behaviour among nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Research suggests that when it comes to understanding behaviour, using a theoretical framework is likely to be most effective, and the COM-B framework is a recommended approach.

METHODS

Semistructured interviews with 42 nurses working in 11 Chinese cities were conducted, and their verbatim statements were transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. The results were mapped to COM-B framework.

RESULTS

Ten key themes emerged: Capability (professional knowledge and skills, emotional intelligence, cross-cultural care competence); opportunity (resources, organizational culture, social culture); motivation (past experience, character, role, beliefs).

CONCLUSIONS

Ten factors were found to influence nurses' caring behaviour. This study added two new influencing factors, social culture and past experiences, that further contributed to the understanding of nurses' care behaviours.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT

Nurses' caring behaviour is influenced not only by themselves but also by institutions and society, so interventions aiming to improve their caring behaviour should consider these elements. The negative impact of the pandemic on capability factors that influence nurses' caring behaviour should be counteracted as soon as possible.

Determinants of the Impact of Fatigue on the Health of Polish Nursing Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic

(1) Lockdown-related fatigue occurring during the COVID-19 pandemic is a complex problem that can be experienced in different social groups. The objective of the current study is to attempt to identify socio-demographic and lifestyle-related factors that determine the impact of fatigue on health in general as well as in physical, cognitive, and psychosocial terms and to determine whether, and to what extent, these were predictors of fatigue in nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic. (2) The study was conducted by the diagnostic poll method between 20 March and 15 December 2021 among 894 nursing students at six Polish universities. To collect the data, a validated Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS) was used. (3) Students from the age group of ≤20 experienced a significantly greater impact of fatigue on health in general as well as in physical and cognitive terms. The study demonstrated a significant negative relationship between the year of study and the impact of fatigue on health in general terms (r = −0.12; p < 0.0001) and the analyzed health terms, on physical (r = −0.12; p < 0.0001), cognitive (r = −0.10; p < 0.002), and psychosocial (r = −0.07; p < 0.041). In predicting the impact of fatigue on health in general and physical terms, it was the variable related to a reduction in physical activity during the COVID-19 pandemic that had the greatest contribution, while for the cognitive and psychosocial functions, it was the number of meals consumed per day. (4) It is recognized that action is needed to reduce the impact of fatigue on student health by modifying the predictors related to student lifestyles.

Lived Experience of Nurses in COVID-19 Units - A Phenomenological Study from Eastern India

Introduction: Nurses are the frontline workers who had to play multiple functions like in acute care, community, etc. but, it was stated that COVID-19 has caused immense trauma to nurses globally. Methods: A descriptive phenomenological study to explore the lived experience of nurses working in COVID-19 units was conducted among nine senior nursing officers recruited by purposive homogenous sampling and interviewed with an open-ended interview guide by ensuring data saturation. COREQ guideline were adopted for this qualitative study. Results: Qualitative data were analysed using Giorgi's framework, and themes and sub-themes were derived. The major themes that emerged in the present study were "Reactions and preparation", "Feelings and satisfaction in active duty", "Role of a helping hand", "Working experience in PPE", and "Pandemic and socialization". Each theme had further sub-themes to classify the verbatims. Conclusion: Most of the nurses had anxiety and prepared themselves to play with fire, had unrealistic hope, and mixed emotions, kept their family away and intentionally concealed information to reduce family's fear, were satisfied with training and preparation, and had unpleasant experiences with PPE, had to restrict their social activities and felt social stigma. It also concludes with the recommendation that warrants the need to improve their professional quality of life and working conditions by safeguarding nurses' physical and mental health.

The relationship between disaster preparedness, psychological capital, and coping style among nurses: A cross-sectional study from China

PURPOSE

To find the relationship between psychological capital, coping style, and disaster preparedness in public hospital nurses.

DESIGN AND METHODS

A cross-sectional study of 515 registered nurses from a public hospital in northeast Sichuan Province, China who were enrolled to complete self-reported questionnaires sent through the WeChat app.

RESULTS

Disaster preparedness and psychology capital (r = 0.73, p < 0.01), disaster preparedness and coping style (r = 0.55, p < 0.01), and psychological capital and coping style (r = 0.56, p < 0.01) were positively correlated. Psychological capital (B = 1.81, p < 0.01) and coping style (B = 0.87, p < 0.01) accounted for 50% of disaster preparedness. Coping style partly mediated the effect of psychological capital on disaster preparedness (ab: 0.33, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.21-0.45).

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS

The level of psychological capital of nurses can provide an objective reference for administrators to establish intervention strategies and to promote positive psychological resources among nurses.

The perception of nursing leaders towards communication and relationship management competencies in using digital platforms during COVID-19 in Qatar: A cross-sectional study

AIM

To evaluate nursing leaders' perception of communication and relationship management competencies while using digital platforms during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND

Nursing leaders can achieve effective leadership by mastering these competencies leading to an overall improvement in the quality of nursing care. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought numerous challenges in communication, and digital platforms have been widely used in healthcare settings to mitigate contagion.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional.

METHODS

The study was conducted between February and March 2021. A survey was adopted from the American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE) and was sent to nursing leaders in Qatar through email.

RESULTS

A total of 250 nurse leaders were invited to participate, but only 116 responded (RR 46.4%). The male participants represented a more significant proportion of 64.10%. Influencing behaviour, relationship management and effective communication had the lowest scores, which indicates low competency.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite obtaining satisfying scores, nursing leaders in Qatar should strive for professional development and knowledge acquisition to improve their communications and relationship management competencies.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT

Healthcare organizations must understand that nursing leaders should strive for professional development and knowledge acquisition to improve their communication and management.

Investigation and Analysis of the Effect of Knowledge, Attitude, and Behavior of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Nurses on Occupational Protection Against COVID-19

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of knowledge, attitude, and behavior (KAB) of gastrointestinal endoscopy nurses on occupational protection against COVID-19. We analyzed the influencing factors on KAB to provide a reference for the training of nurses on occupational protection in endoscopic centers. A convenience sample of 400 endoscopy nurses from 26 provinces and cities in China was surveyed using a questionnaire to determine their KAB about occupational protection against COVID-19. Job title was an influencing factor of endoscopy nurses' attitude toward occupational protection against COVID-19. The type of hospital, whether nurses had received training on COVID-19, number of training courses received, and nurses' satisfaction with the workload in their endoscopic center were the influencing factors for occupational protective behavior. Study participants had good knowledge of occupational protection against COVID-19. Their overall attitude was positive, but their protective behavior needs further improvement. Feasible interventions to strengthen the occupational protective behavior of endoscopy nurses during the COVID-19 epidemic are suggested to improve the overall occupational protection level of endoscopy nurses.

Intention and motivation to pursue higher education among registered nurses and midwives: a cross-sectional study during COVID-19

OBJECTIVES

To determine the intention and motivation of nurses and midwives to pursue their higher education considering several factors.

METHODS

This is a cross-sectional study were a 16-item online survey was distributed using a convenience sampling method to approximately 12,000 nurses and midwives between May - July 2021.

RESULTS

A total of 513 eligible nurses and midwives participated in the study. Most of the respondents were females (76.61%), with a bachelor's degree (72.3%) and well experienced (11-15 years) (35.4%). Most nurses and midwives are highly motivated to pursue higher education (79.14%). The most motivating factor for the respondents is their professional goals (85.2%), While the most dissuading factor was the cost. Regarding COVID-19, about 28% of the respondents said that the COVID-19 pandemic has a negative effect on their desire to go for higher education.

CONCLUSIONS

The nurses and midwives were highly motivated to pursue higher education regardless of their demographic status, available resources, and barriers. Furthermore, the eagerness of the nurses and midwives to pursue higher education, which is rooted in their desire to grow in their profession.

Willingness to Work during Public Health Emergencies: A Systematic Literature Review

The identification of the factors underlying the willingness or lack thereof to respond to public health emergencies is paramount to informing more capable health services. The interest in this topic appears renewed with each surge of threat, either referring to natural disasters, man-made violence, or epidemic and pandemics. However, there is no systematic approach to the research patterns and related main findings concerning individual and contextual determinants. The present article contributes to this theme through a systematic literature review of a sample of 150 articles published in the last 30 years on the subject of willingness and preparedness of health professionals to deal with public health threats. Our findings show that the research is mainly phenomena and contextual driven, responding to whichever emergency threat is more salient in a given period. Geographically, research on this topic is led by USA and China, mostly solely, while European countries invest in collaborations that are more international. Universities, including health institutes and schools, and researchers at hospitals conduct most of the research on the topic. The main research areas are medicine, psychology, and psychiatry. Pandemics, including COVID-19, influenza, and natural disasters, are the phenomena gauging more attention as opposed to terrorism events and biological accidents. The specific role of health professionals within the institution, their belief in ethical duties, preparation training, and concerns regarding infection of self and family are the main variables influencing the willingness and ability to report to work in public health emergencies.

Management of the COVID-19 pandemic: challenges, practices, and organizational support

BACKGROUND

Health organizations currently face tremendous challenges in the management of the COVID-19 pandemic. To do this, successful and proven scientific practices and support are needed.

AIM

This study aimed to explore the challenges, practices, and organizational support dealt with by nursing managers in the management of the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHOD

A qualitative content analysis study evaluated 35 nursing managers in five university hospitals through a semi-structured interview. The Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research were used for this qualitative study.

RESULTS

Three main themes emerged: Challenges include the development of a COVID-19 crisis management plan, a shortage in nursing staff, and psychological problems. Practices include; changes in work schedules for nursing staff, the exchange process, hospital preparation, and training and education. And organizational support includes both support at an organizational level and support at an individual level.

CONCLUSION

This study revealed that nursing managers are faced with many challenges in the management of COVID-19, requiring good practices and organizational support. This study offers evidence for nursing managers to expect problems that may arise during the pandemic.

RECOMMENDATIONS

The COVID-19 pandemic requires the development of an integrated plan, and this plan must be disseminated to the hospital's nursing and medical teams to better equip them for the current and future crises.

Subtypes of work engagement in frontline supporting nurses during COVID-19 pandemic: A latent profile analysis

AIM

The aim was to examine the subgroups of work engagement in frontline nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND

The pandemic may affect the work engagement of nurses who have direct contact with infected patients and lead to a poor quality of care. Identifying classification features of work engagement and tailoring interventions to support frontline nurses is imperative.

DESIGN

This study utilized a cross-sectional study design.

METHODS

Three hundred fifty-five nurses were enrolled in this cross-sectional study from 14 February to 15 April 2020. A latent profile analysis was performed to identify classification features of work engagement. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to examine predictors of profile membership.

RESULTS

A four-profile model provided the best fit. The four profiles were titled 'low work engagement' (n = 99), 'high vigour-low dedication and absorption' (n = 58), 'moderate work engagement' (n = 63) and 'high work engagement' (n = 135). A regression analysis suggested that young nurses and nurses who were the only children of their family were more likely to be in the 'low work engagement' and 'high vigour-low dedication and absorption' groups.

CONCLUSION

This study highlights the importance of tailoring interventions for frontline supporting nurses by considering their distinct work engagement patterns, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, to improve the promotion of work satisfaction and quality of care.

IMPACT

This was the first study to explore the latent profiles of work engagement in frontline nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Over 40% of nurses were in the 'low work engagement' and 'high vigour-low dedication and absorption' groups and reported low levels of work engagement. Understanding different patterns of work engagement in frontline nurses can help nursing managers provide emotional, material and organizational support based on the features of each latent profile, which may improve the quality of care and patient safety.

Behavioral Intentions and Factors Influencing Nurses' Care of COVID-19 Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study

Objective

Behavioral intentions to care for patients with infectious diseases are crucial for improving quality of care. However, there have been few studies of the behavioral intentions and factors influencing patient care by clinical nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to explore cognition, attitudes, subjective norms, self-efficacy, and behavioral intentions of clinical nurses while caring for COVID-19 patients and to explore any influencing factors.

Method

A cross-sectional survey was conducted of nurses through convenience sampling in southeast China from February 2020 to March 2020. The questionnaire was developed based on the theory of planned behavior and self-efficacy.

Results

A total of 774 nurses completed the survey. Of these, 69.12% (535/774) reported positive behavioral intentions, 75.58% (585/774) reported a positive attitude, and 63.82% (494/774) reported having the confidence to care for patients. However, the lack of support from family and friends and special allowance affected their self-confidence. Attitude, self-efficacy, subjective norms, and ethical cognition were significantly positively correlated with behavioral intentions (r = 0.719, 0.690, 0.603, and 0.546, respectively, all P < 0.001). Structural equation model showed that self-efficacy, attitude, ethical cognition, and subjective norms had positive effects on behavioral intentions (β = 0.402, 0.382, 0.091, and 0.066, respectively, P < 0.01). The total effect of behavioral intentions was influenced by attitude, ethical cognition, self-efficacy, and subjective norms (β = 0.656, 0.630, 0.402, and 0.157, respectively, P < 0.01). In addition, ethical cognition had a positive mediating effect on behavioral intentions (β = 0.539, P < 0.001).

Conclusion

The study results indicated that attitude, ethical cognition, and self-efficacy were the main factors influencing nurses' behavioral intention. Efforts should be made to improve nurses' attitude and self-efficacy through ethical education and training to increase behavioral intentions to care for patients with infectious diseases, which will improve the quality of nursing care.

Emergency nurses' attitudes, perceptions about personal protective equipment and willingness to care for COVID-19 patients: A descriptive, cross-sectional study

Aims

This study investigated emergency nurses' attitudes and perceptions about personal protective equipment and their association with the willingness to care for COVID‐19 patients.

Background

Emergency nurses are at increased risk for COVID‐19 infection as frontline workers and must wear personal protective equipment while attending suspected and confirmed COVID‐19 patients.

Methods

In September 2021, 188 nurses in four emergency departments completed online questionnaires.

Results

Multivariable logistic regression demonstrated that as perceptions of COVID‐19 infection risk increased by 1 point, 26% of nurses were willing to care of COVID‐19 patients. The willingness to care for COVID‐19 patients increased in their attitudes by 1.16 point and perceptions by 1.08 points about PPE.

Conclusions

Perceptions of the risk of infection exposure and confidence in safety of personal protective equipment are associated with nurses' willingness to care for COVID‐19 patients.

Implications for Nursing Management

Nurse managers need to assess nurses' needs for safety and provide a supportive climate to mitigate their concerns regarding infection risk and encourage nurses' willingness to care for patients. Nurse managers should provide precise guidelines on correct personal protective equipment use. Repetitive training on personal protective equipment should be provided to encourage nurses' adaptation to its use.

Battling extraordinary situations and conflicting emotions-A qualitative study of being a newly graduated Registered Nurse in the emergency department during the COVID-19 pandemic

Aim

To describe newly graduated registered nurses’ (NGRNs’) experiences of encountering stress in emergency departments (EDs) during the COVID‐19 pandemic.

Design

A qualitative descriptive study.

Methods

Data from 14 in‐depth interviews with NGRNs working in an ED for 3‐36 months after graduation was analysed by the means of qualitative content analysis as described by Graneheim and Lundman. Interviews were conducted from March to November 2020 covering the first two waves of the pandemic.

Results

Data revealed three categories and nine subcategories comprised in the theme Battling extraordinary situations and conflicting emotions. Empowered by acknowledging themselves as important caregivers during the pandemic NGRNs struggle against limitations and exert themselves beyond their known limit. External stressors due to work overload in combination with understaffing force NGRNs into the role of the experienced nurse prematurely and internal stressors derives from part taking in less qualitative care.

Stigma towards health care providers taking care of COVID-19 patients: A multi-country study

Background

Health care providers (HCPs) have always been a common target of stigmatization during widespread infections and COVID-19 is not an exception.

Aim

This study aims to investigate the prevalence of stigmatization during the COVID-19 pandemic among HCPs in seven different countries using the Stigma COVID-19 Healthcare Providers tool (S19-HCPs).

Design

Cross-sectional.

Methods

The S19-HCPs is a self-administered online survey (16-item) developed and validated by the research team. The participants were invited to complete an online survey. Data collection started from June–July 2020 using a convenience sample of HCPs from Iraq, Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Philippines, and Kuwait.

Results

A total number of 1726 participants were included in the final analysis. The majority of the study participants were Jordanians (22%), followed by Kuwaitis (19%), Filipinos (18%) and the lowest participants were Indonesians (6%). Other nationalities were Iraqis, Saudis, and Egyptians with 15%, 11% and 9% respectively. Among the respondents, 57% have worked either in a COVID-19 designated facility or in a quarantine center and 78% claimed that they had received training for COVID-19. Statistical significance between COVID-19 stigma and demographic variables were found in all aspect of the S19-HCPs.

Conclusion

The findings of this study demonstrated high levels of stigmatization against HCPs in all the included seven countries. On the other hand, they are still perceived positively by their communities and in their utmost, highly motivated to care for COVID-19 patients. Educational and awareness programs could have a crucial role in the solution of stigmatization problems over the world.

Australian dentists' knowledge, preparedness, and experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND

COVID-19 is a global health crisis. Close contact with the mucous membranes and respiratory secretions of patients and aerosol-generating procedures renders dentists and other oral health professionals at high risk of exposure to SARS-CoV-2. We examined dentists' knowledge, preparedness, and experiences of managing COVID-19 in Australia.

METHODS

A cross-sectional online survey of dentists with a current membership with The Australian Dental Association (ADA) was conducted between March and April 2021.

RESULTS

Of the 368 survey responses, most dentists (72.3%) reported having a good level of knowledge about COVID-19, with most visiting the ADA Federal COVID-19 (74.7%) and state/territory department of health websites (62.8%), respectively to source up-to-date information. Most dentists (87.6%) felt prepared to manage COVID-19 into the future, although 66% reported not receiving training or certification in the use of PPE. Over half (58.7%) reported not being concerned about contracting SARS-CoV-2 at work, with some (28.9%, n = 98/339) feeling more stressed than usual and having heavier workloads.

CONCLUSION

COVID-19 had significant impact in oral healthcare in Australia. Dentistry has adapted to the varied challenges raised by the pandemic. Comprehensive training and detailed guidelines were fundamental for successful patient management during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Professional Self-Concept and Self-Confidence for Nurses Dealing with COVID-19 Patients

Purpose: To identify the impact of dealing with COVID-19 patients in clinical areas on nurses’ professional self-concept and self-confidence. Background: Professional self-concept is considered a critical factor in the recruitment/retention process in nursing, nursing shortage, career satisfaction, and academic achievements. Professional self-confidence is also a crucial determinant in staff satisfaction, reducing turnover, and increasing work engagement. Design: Descriptive, comparative study. Methods: The study was conducted between February to May 2021 by utilizing a convenience sampling technique. A total of 170 nurses from two facilities were recruited from two COVID-19- and non-COVID-19-designated facilities. The level of professional self-concept and self-confidence was assessed by utilizing the Nurses’ Self-Concept Instrument and Self-Confidence Scale. Results: The professional self-concept level among the group exposed to COVID-19 patients was lower than the comparison group, while the professional self-confidence level among the exposed group to COVID-19 patients was similar to the comparison group. On the other hand, the satisfied staff and those who received professional training in dealing with COVID-19 patients reported a higher level of professional self-concept. Conclusions: Dealing with COVID-19 patients has an impact on professional self-concept; the exposure group was lower than those who did not deal with COVID-19 patients, while the professional self-confidence level among the exposed group was similar to the comparison group. Getting professional training in dealing with COVID-19 patients and being satisfied at work were significant factors in improving professional self-concept. Policymakers should create strategies that target the improvement of professional training in dealing with COVID-19 patients.

Development and Initial Validation of Stigma Towards Healthcare Providers Working with COVID-19 Patients Scale (S19-HCPs)

Purpose

The S19-HCPs tool evaluates the stigma towards healthcare providers working with patients with COVID-19.

Materials and Methods

The psychometric properties of the Arabic and English versions of the S19-HCPs were examined. A survey using the S19-HCPs scale was administered online. Two reliability analyses were used in this study to identify the extent to which S19-HCPs shows consistent results (internal consistency and test–retest reliability). The English version of the scale was piloted on 33 Jordanian and the Arabic version on 27 Iraqi participants.

Results

The internal consistency of the English and Arabic S19-HCPs was satisfactory (α = 0.79, 0.74, respectively). Two-week test–retest correlations were all statistically significant (ICC = 0.91, 0.89, respectively).

Conclusion

The S19-HCPs is psychometrically robust and can be used in research assessing the stigma towards healthcare providers working with patients with COVID-19 in English and Arabic-speaking countries.

The lived experiences of frontline nurses during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Qatar: A qualitative study

AIM

This study aims to explore the lived experiences of frontline nurses providing nursing care for COVID-19 patients in Qatar.

DESIGN

Qualitative, Phenomenological.

METHODS

Nurses were recruited from a designated COVID-19 facility using purposive and snowball sampling. The participants were interviewed face-to-face using semi-structured interview questions from 6 September-10 October 2020. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed using Colaizzi's phenomenological method.

RESULT

A total of 30 nurses were interviewed; (76.7%) were deployed for >6 months. Three major themes were drawn from the analysis: (a) Challenges of working in a COVID-19 facility (subthemes: working in a new context and new working environment, worn out by the workload, the struggle of wearing protective gear, fear of COVID-19, witnessing suffering); (b) Surviving COVID-19 (subthemes: keeping it safe with extra measures, change in eating habits, teamwork and camaraderie, social support); and (c) Resilience of Nurses (subthemes: a true calling, a sense of purpose).

Quality of Life, Sleep Quality, Depression, Anxiety, Stress, Eating Habits, and Social Bounds in Nurses during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic in Qatar (The PROTECTOR Study): A Cross-Sectional, Comparative Study

There have been numerous concerns regarding the physical and mental health of nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Stress, sleep deprivation, anxiety, and depression potentiated nurses' vulnerability to poor eating habits.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this study was to explore the differences between nurses' characteristics with COVID-19 facility designation, and sleep quality, depression, anxiety, stress, eating habits, social bonds, and quality of life.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional, comparative study.

METHODS

An online survey was sent using the corporation's email to nurses working in three hospitals in Qatar from September to December 2020. One of them is a designated COVID-19 facility. The sleep quality, depression, eating habits, social bonds, and quality of life were measured using The Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale 21 (DASS-21), Emotional Eater Questionnaire (EEQ), Oslo Social Support Scale (OSSS-3), and the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF), respectively.

RESULTS

A total of 200 nurses participated in the study (RR: 13.3%). No statistically significant association was found between designated facility (COVID-19 vs. not COVID-19) or nurses' characteristics and ISI categories (OR 1.15; 95% CI 0.54, 2.44). Nurses working in COVID-19 facilities had increased odds of having higher EEQ categories by 2.62 times (95% CI 1.18, 5.83). Similarly, no statistically significant associations were found between any of the nurses' characteristics and OSSS-3 categories. On the other hand, no statistically significant associations were found between any of the nurses' characteristics and QOL domains except for the gender and social relationships' domain.

CONCLUSION

Overall, the quality of life of nurses in Qatar is on a positive level whether they are assigned to a COVID-19 facility or not. Although no significant difference was found with regard to the sleep quality, stress, anxiety, depression, and eating habits between nurses in a COVID-19 facility and in a non-COVID-19 facility, special interventions to diminish stressors need to be implemented and maintained.

Willingness to Work amongst Australian Frontline Healthcare Workers during Australia's First Wave of Covid-19 Community Transmission: Results of an Online Survey

OBJECTIVES

The majority of research investigating healthcare workers' (HCWs) willingness to work during public health emergencies, asks participants to forecast their perceptions based on hypothetical emergencies, rather than in response to the actual public health emergencies they have experienced. This research explored frontline HCWs willingness to work during Australia's first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic among frontline HCWs.

METHODS

Participants (n = 580) completed an online questionnaire regarding their willingness to work during the pandemic.

RESULTS

A total of 42% of participants reported being less willing to work during the pandemic compared to before. Availability of personal protective equipment (PPE), concern expressed by family members, and viral exposure were significant barriers. A third of participants disagreed that some level of occupational risk for exposure to infectious disease was acceptable while a quarter of participants had received communications from their workplace concerning obligations to work during COVID-19.

CONCLUSIONS

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted Australian frontline HCWs' willingness to work. Scarcity of PPE and exposure to the virus were the most cited reasons impacting on willingness to work. Appropriate policies and practices should be implemented and communicated efficiently to frontline HCW's. This research provides insight into the lived experiences of Australian healthcare professionals' willingness to work during a pandemic.

Frontline nurses' willingness to work during the COVID-19 pandemic: A mixed-methods study

AIM

Frontline nurses' willingness to work has significant implications for maintaining workforce stability and quality of care during the COVID-19 pandemic; however, few studies have investigated their willingness and the corresponding reasons. This study aims to examine frontline nurses' willingness to work, identify its predictors and explore its corresponding reasons.

DESIGN

A mixed-methods design was conducted.

METHODS

Based on a multilevel behavioural-diagnostic model, a questionnaire survey was used to collect quantitative and qualitative data concurrently from 13 February to 24 February 2020 to explore frontline nurses' willingness to work and the corresponding reasons in two hospitals in Wuhan, China. One was a designated hospital which only received COVID-19 patients, and the other was built up temporarily for COVID-19 patients.

RESULTS

Of the 2014 participants, most (n = 1950, 96.8%) indicated their willingness to work, and a few (n = 64, 3.2%) expressed their unwillingness. Binary logistic regression analysis identified five predictors of participants' willingness to work, including monthly family income, average working hours per shift, belief in their colleagues' preparedness, belief in their hospitals' preparedness and levels of depression. These indicators explained 27% of the variance (p < .05). Frontline nurses' willingness to work mainly arose from professional commitment, patriotism and faith, while unwillingness to do so primarily stemmed from safety concerns and family responsibility.

CONCLUSION

Most frontline nurses were willing to work and showed great professional commitment.

IMPACT

Professional commitment and patriotism were two important individual-level factors affecting frontline nurses' willingness to work during a pandemic. Strategies should be implemented, such as appreciating and acknowledging their contribution, rewarding their valuable work, arranging reasonable working hours, enhancing colleagues' and hospitals' preparedness, and providing emotional support. Moreover, adequate personal protective equipment, self-protection training and social support should be ensured to address frontline nurses' safety concerns and family responsibility.

Nurses Who Are More Willing to Participate in the Fight against COVID-19: Evidence from China

When facing an infectious disease disaster, nurses’ willingness to work is critical. Nurses’ lack of willingness to work during a pandemic may worsen the shortage of health care personnel. The purpose of this study is to assess the willingness of nurses to participate in the fight against COVID-19 in China and to identify factors associated therewith. This cross-sectional study examines nurses working in 11 Chinese cities including Macau, Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Dongguan, Huizhou, Guangzhou, Zhaoqing, Foshan, Jiangmen, Zhongshan, and Zhuhai. Questionnaires were collected from 19 May to 7 August 2020. A total of 8065 questionnaires were received, of which 8030 valid questionnaires were included for analysis. A total of 53.4% of participants reported that they had signed up to support the COVID-19 pandemic response. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that being single (OR = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.60–0.87), having no children (OR = 0.81, 95% CI: 0.68–0.97), possessing higher professional qualifications (OR = 1.25, 95% CI: 1.14–1.37), having a more prestigious professional title (OR = 1.68, 95%CI: 1.50–1.90), being an administrative supervisor (OR = 0.53, 95% CI: 0.45–0.63), having a higher caring dimensions inventory score (OR = 1.01, 95% CI: 1.01–1.01), working in a hospital (OR = 0.53, 95% CI: 0.39–0.72), and receiving employer-provided care training (OR = 0.77, 95% CI: 0.68–0.87) were predictive of nurses’ willingness to participate in the fight against COVID-19. We suggest that unmarried nurses should be given priority when recruiting to fight an epidemic and, for married nurses with children who are recruited to fight an epidemic, supporting measures should be provided for childcare. We suggest strengthening workplace training of caring for nurses in order to better retain and recruit qualified support for an epidemic outbreak of infectious diseases.

Barriers and Facilitators of Nurses' and Physicians' Willingness to Work during a Respiratory Disease Outbreak: A Mixed-Methods Systematic Review

This review was undertaken to identify the perceived barriers and facilitators of nurses’ and physicians’ willingness to work during a respiratory disease outbreak. This mixed-methods systematic review involved the extraction of data from the electronic databases PubMed, Web of Science, CINAHL, and PsycINFO and from a manual search of articles published between 2003 and April 2021. The quality of the included studies was assessed using a mixed-method appraisal tool. A total of 29 studies were eligible for inclusion: 21 quantitative and 8 qualitative. Using the Integrated Behavioral Model, perceived barriers and facilitators were identified under seven categories: demographics, attitude, perceived norm, personal agency, knowledge and skills to perform the behavior, environmental constraints, and habit. The results of this study broaden the understanding of various factors that affect nurses’ and physicians’ willingness to work during a respiratory disease outbreak. These findings will facilitate the modification of current pandemic workplace staffing strategies and practices and will inform preparedness planning for similar situations in the future.

Associations between the working experiences at frontline of COVID-19 pandemic and mental health of Korean public health doctors

BACKGROUND

Demographic, work environmental, and psychosocial features are associated with mental health of healthcare professionals at pandemic frontline. The current study aimed to find predictors of mental health for public health doctors from working experiences at frontline of COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

With first-come and first-served manner, 350 public health doctors with experiences of work at COVID-19 frontline participated online survey on August 2020. Mental health was defined using the total scores of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, the Perceived Stress Scale, and the Stanford Presenteeism Scale-6. Multivariate logistic regression models of mental health with lowest Akaike Information Criterion were determined among all combinations of working environments, perceived threats and satisfaction at frontline, and demographics that were significant (P < 0.05) in the univariate logistic regression.

RESULTS

Perceived distress, lowered self-efficacy at work, anxiety, and depressive mood were reported by 45.7, 34.6, 11.4, and 15.1% of respondents, respectively. Predictors of poor mental health found in the multivariate logistic regression analyses were environmental (insufficient personal protective equipment, workplace of screening center, prolonged workhours) and psychosocial (fear of infection and death, social stigma and rejection) aspects of working experiences at frontline. Satisfaction of monetary compensation and proactive coping (acceptance and willingness to volunteer at frontline) were predictive of better mental health.

CONCLUSIONS

Sufficient supply of personal protective equipment and training on infection prevention at frontline, proper workhours and satisfactory monetary compensation, and psychological supports are required for better mental health of public health doctors at frontline of COVID-19 pandemic.

Comparing the Impact of COVID-19 on Nurses' Turnover Intentions before and during the Pandemic in Qatar

Background: Although several studies examining nurses’ turnover intentions have been conducted, few studies have been conducted to explore how COVID-19 contributes to nurses’ turnover intentions. This study aims to compare nurses’ turnover (TO) intentions before and during COVID-19. Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted using the Turnover Intention Scale (TIS-6) and a convenience sample of participants from the largest healthcare provider in Qatar between August and September 2020. Results: A total of 512 nurses were included in the final analysis. The majority were between 31 and 40 years of age (61.5%), 67.6% were females, 76.4% were married, 79.7% had a BSN, 43% had less than 5 years of experience, and 60.4% had worked in COVID-19 designated facilities. The turnover intentions were higher compared with before COVID-19 (p < 0.01). Conclusion: Nurses in Qatar have higher TO intentions during COVID-19. The participants’ characteristics and stress levels are playing a major role in nurses’ decision to leave during COVID-19. Understanding the factors that contribute to turnover intentions is crucial for workforce planning, especially during pandemics.

Medical Staff Work Burnout and Willingness to Work during COVID-19 Pandemic Situation in Pakistan

Medical staff is vital for helping society through a health crisis, human-made or natural disaster, and pandemic. This study aims to investigate the medical staff's work-related burnout during Covid-19 and their willingness to work when they are most needed. The cross-sectional design was used, and an online survey was conducted through snowball sampling. Sample comprised on 250 participants (male = 89 & female= 161). The study's inclusion criteria were that only those medical staff of different hospitals was approached to collect data performed inwards isolated for Covid-19 treatment corona isolation wards. Maslach burnout inventory (MBI-HSS) and willingness to work (WTW) tools were used to collect data. Descriptive and Partial least square analysis was utilized to evaluate the relationships. The Coefficient of determination or R-Square value was 0.299, which means 29.9% or 30% of the work burnout variation was due to the impact of emotional exhaustion and personal accomplishment. Perceived danger, Role Competence, Self-Efficacy, and Sense of duty significantly impacted the willingness to work. Despite the workload and perceived risk, 42.6% of participants agreed to work if their department had to need their services, while 55.2% of participants agreed to work whether their department asked them or not. Government and hospital management should adopt a proactive and positive response during the pandemic to eradicate the employee stress and adopt adequate steps to improve the willingness to work with medical staff.

A Phenomenological Study of Nurse Managers' and Assistant Nurse Managers' Experiences during the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States

Aim

To understand the experiences of hospital nurse managers and assistant nurse managers during the COVID‐19 pandemic in the United States.

Background

Little research has been published about the experiences of nurse managers during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Experiences of front‐line nurses have been well documented. This is the first phenomenological study to date in the United States on experiences of hospital nurse managers during the COVID‐19 pandemic.

Design

Phenomenological qualitative approach.

Methods

Thirteen managers, seven nurse managers and six assistant nurse managers were interviewed about their experiences using audio–video teleconferencing and a semi‐structured interview guide. Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research criteria for reporting qualitative research were used.

Results

The four major themes that emerged were as follows: being there for everyone; leadership challenges; struggles, support and coping; and strengthening my role. There were 11 subthemes.

Conclusions

A major focus of nurse managers during the pandemic was psychosocial support of front‐line nurses while at the same time experiencing stress and exhaustion themselves.

Implications for nursing management

More attention on the psychosocial needs of nurse managers, interventions to allay their exhaustion and provisions for readily available support are warranted.

Interventions to Improve the Willingness to Work Among Health care Professionals in Times of Disaster: A Scoping Review

The critical role of the health workforce in the function of the health care system is undeniable. In times of disaster and public health emergency, the importance of this valuable resource for the organization multiplies. This scoping review was conducted to identify, analyze, and categorize interventions to improve willingness to work in times of disaster as well as the existing knowledge gaps in the topic. For this purpose, four databases were searched. These included Scopus, PubMed, WOS, and World Health Organization observatory, and they were searched for papers published from July 2000 to September 2020. Studies of the English language that described strategies to improve human resources for health willingness to work during times of disaster/public health emergency were included. Full-text papers were screened by authors and data extraction was done according to self-designed form. Framework analysis identified key interventions based on human resources for health action framework. From 6246 search results, 52 articles were included, a great portion of which was published in 2020 probably due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Northern America was the region with most studies. From 52 included studies, 21 papers have reported the interventions to improve willingness to work and 31 papers have explored factors that affected a willingness to work. The interventions used in the studies were categorized into five themes as Leadership, Partnership, Financing, Education, and Organizational policies. The most and least interventions were financial and partnership respectively. The review identified a wide range of feasible strategies and interventions to improve human resources for health's willingness to work at times of disaster that are expected to be effective. Organizations should let the staff know these decisions and as a necessary step in every organizational intervention remember to evaluate the impacts.

Nurses' willingness to work with COVID-19 patients: The role of knowledge and attitude

Aim

This study aims to assess the role of nurses’ knowledge and attitude in relation to their willingness to work with patients diagnosed with COVID‐19 in Qatar.

Design

A cross‐sectional study.

Methods

A self‐administered, 35‐item online survey was circulated to the Registered Nurses working in Hamad Medical Corporation, the principal healthcare provider in Qatar.

Results

A total of 580 attempts to complete the survey. Of them, 377 completed surveys with a response rate of 65%. Logistic regression was used to predict nurses’ willingness to work with patients with COVID‐19. Nurses’ knowledge level and monetary compensation that is associated with the work‐environment risk category were found to have a significant positive relationship with the nurses’ willingness to care for patients with COVID‐19 (p < .05). The findings of this study may help nursing leaders design educational programmes and remuneration models that may help boost nurses’ willingness to work with high‐risk patient groups, especially during a pandemic.