The experience of frontline nurses four months after COVID-19 rescue task in China: A qualitative study

Analysis of influencing factors of job demands of healthcare workers working in mobile cabin hospitals in China

AIM

To explore the job demands of healthcare workers (HCWs) working in mobile cabin hospitals in Shanghai and identify the influencing factors.

DESIGN

The study had a cross-sectional design.

METHODS

Using the convenience sampling method, we selected 1223 HCWs (medical team members) working in these mobile cabin hospitals during April-May 2022. The findings of the general information questionnaire and the hierarchy scale of job demands of HCWs working in mobile cabin hospitals were used for the investigation.

RESULTS

The total score of job demands of the included HCWs was 132.26 ± 9.53; the average score of the items was 4.73 ± 0.34. Multivariate linear regression analyses showed that the following HCWs had significantly higher job demands: female HCWs and HCWs who received psychological training or intervention during the COVID-19 pandemic, were satisfied with the doctor/nurse-patient relationship, received support from family members/friends/colleagues, believed that the risk of working in mobile cabin hospitals was high, had adapted to the working environment of mobile cabin hospitals and had college/undergraduate level of education. They would benefit from increased social support and better training in terms of psychological coping mechanisms(both theoretical knowledge and applicable skills) and COVID-19 prevention,control and treatment abilities.

Latent class analysis of healthcare workers' perceptions of workers' job demands in mobile cabin hospitals in China

BACKGROUND

Owing to the outbreak of the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 in Shanghai, China, partitioned dynamic closure and control management plans were implemented on March 28, 2022. This created huge emergency pressure on Shanghai's medical and healthcare systems. However, the perceptions of job demands of healthcare workers (HCWs) and classification of frontline HCWs in mobile cabin hospitals are unknown.

METHODS

In this study, we investigated the job demands of 1223 frontline HCWs working in mobile cabin hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic April 2022 to May 2022. We performed latent class analysis to identify classification features of job demands. A binary multivariate logistic regression model was used to explore the influencing factors of latent class.

RESULTS

The total mean job demand score was 132.26 (SD = 9.53), indicating a high level of job demand. A two-class model provided the best fit. The two classes were titled "middle-demand group" (17.66%) and "high-demand group" (82.34%). A regression analysis suggested that female HCWs, HCWs satisfied with the doctor/nurse-patient relationship, HCWs who believed that the risk of working in mobile cabin hospitals was high, and HCWs without physical discomfort during the pandemic were more likely to be in the "high-demand group".

CONCLUSION

Characteristics of the "high-demand group" subtype suggest that attention should be paid to the physical condition of frontline HCWs and the job demands of female HCWs. Managers should strengthen the training of HCWs in terms of their communication skills as well as their knowledge and technical skills to aid epidemic prevention and control.

Occupational Happiness of Civilian Nurses in China: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Civilian nurses have gradually become the main body of military nurses. Our study aimed to understand their occupational happiness and its influencing factors.

METHODS

This descriptive study was conducted with 319 civilian nurses working in 15 military hospitals in China. Based on literature review, expert consultation and combined with the characteristics of civilian positions, this study developed a questionnaire on occupational happiness of civilian nurses in military hospitals. The questionnaire includes 7 dimensions as follows: work emotion, salary, work environment, professional identity, work output, interpersonal relationship, well‑being. The demographic questionnaire and occupational well-being questionnaire of civilian nurses in military hospitals were analysed by t-test, analysis of variance and Pearson correlation analysis.

RESULTS

The occupational happiness score (3.83 ± 0.56, upper limit score: 5) was at the upper middle level. There were significant differences in occupational well-being by gender (t = -2.668, p = 0.008), age (F = 5.085, p = 0.007) and the type of city where the hospital was located (F = 15.959, p < 0.0001). The happiness score of females (3.94 ± 0.60) was higher than that of males (3.47 ± 0.54). Nurses who were over 41 years old had the highest occupational happiness. Compared with nurses younger than 30 years old, the p value was 0.004. The occupational happiness of nurses in hospitals in a "prefecture-level city" (p < 0.0001) and a "sub-provincial city" (p < 0.0001) was significantly higher than that of nurses in hospitals in a "municipality directly under the central government". Correlation analysis showed that the higher the nurses' satisfaction with professional identity, work output, work environment, salary, and interpersonal relationships, the higher their occupational happiness.

CONCLUSION

Occupational happiness of civilian nurses in Chinese military hospitals was above the medium level. Gender, age, and the type of city where the hospital was located had a very significant impact on the level of occupational happiness. In addition, "professional identity", "work output", "work environment", "salary", and "interpersonal relationships" were significantly correlated with the occupational happiness of civilian nurses. They can be improved with some future lines of research.

"I've kept going" - a multisite repeated cross-sectional study of healthcare workers' pride in personal performance during the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND

For healthcare workers, working through a pandemic may include both challenges, such as coping with increased demands and a lack of control, and rewards, such as experiencing a sense of achievement and meaningfulness. In this study, we explore the accomplishments healthcare workers themselves are proud of achieving at work, in order to elucidate the positive aspects of working through a pandemic.

METHODS

In June 2020 (T1), December 2020 (T2), and May 2021 (T3), healthcare workers (n = 1,996) at four Norwegian hospitals participated in a web-based survey assessing job strain, psychological health, and support during the pandemic. The survey included the open-ended question "During the past two weeks, what have you been feeling proud of achieving at work?". Responses (1,046) to this item were analyzed using conventional content analysis, which resulted in 13 subthemes under 6 themes.

RESULTS

For some, pride was found in their professional identity and dedication to their work. Others took pride in specific achievements, such as juggling their own needs (e.g., health, private life) with those of the workplace, contributing to cohesion and collaboration, their ability to learn and adjust, in being a useful resource at work, and in their efforts towards developing the organization and workplace.

IMPLICATIONS

The current findings shed light on what healthcare workers feel proud of achieving in their day-to-day work. Assessment of these factors provides insight on both positive and negative aspects of working clinically during a pandemic, and highlights specific targets for building sustainable and rewarding work environments for healthcare workers.

Experience of clinical nurses engaged in caring for patients with COVID-19: A qualitative systematic review and meta-synthesis

AIMS AND OBJECTIVE

This qualitative review summarises and synthesises the available evidence on subjective experiences of clinical nurses who cared for patients with COVID-19.

BACKGROUND

Nurses are first responders and play a vital role in emerging infectious disease epidemics such as the COVID-19 pandemic. In this context, they also face many difficulties and challenges related, for example to the imbalance between extensive demands and low control over work tasks.

DESIGN AND METHOD

A systematic review of qualitative studies and meta-synthesis focused on the experiences of clinical nurses caring for patients with COVID-19 during the pandemic was carried out.

RESULTS

A total of 279 findings were extracted, aggregated into 21 categories and combined into seven synthesised findings, namely (1) professional nursing practice during the pandemic, (2) support systems, (3) somatic sensations and psychological experiences, (4) difficulties and challenges, (5) coping strategies and behaviour, (6) impact on life, profession and values, and (7) needs and expectations for the future.

CONCLUSION

Nurses encountered considerable difficulties and challenges in caring for patients with COVID-19. Nurses caring for patients with COVID-19 need more support from organisations, families and society. It is essential to explore positive coping strategies suitable for working in different cultural backgrounds. Policymakers and decision-makers should pay attention to the experiences and voices of nurses.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

It is critical for nurse managers to consider how to enhance the support system and help nurses develop adaptive coping strategies in response to COVID-19. Nurses' experiences and voices are valuable in improving health emergency response systems.

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

There was no patient or public contribution.

The path of depression among frontline nurses during COVID-19 pandemic: A fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis

This study aimed to explore the combination of different conditional variables that led to depressive symptoms among frontline nurses who were fought against COVID-19 during the outbreak in Wuhan City, Hubei Province of China. The study was conducted in August 2020, which included 331 frontline clinical nurses who supported Wuhan's fight against COVID-19. The age range was 21-57 years and included 315 female nurses and 16 male nurses. This study used the fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis research method to explore the path of depression among frontline nurses. This study generated nine different configurations for the path of depression among frontline nurses, and had a detailed demonstration for each configuration. Each configuration distinguishes the different effects of influencing factors. For example, in the first configuration, gender, sleep disorder and PTSD exist as core conditions, while social support exists as a core condition lack. This study was presented results which was different what linear regression model reports. It takes into consideration the combined effect of each conditional variable on the development of depression. Nurse managers should pay attention to the combination of multiple influencing factors, instead of focus on single factors.

The disaster resilience trajectory of the first batch front-line nurses at fighting the Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 in Wuhan: A qualitative study

AIM

It is widely accepted that resilience is an essential solution to the challenges caused by disasters or crisis. The resilient individual can actively cope with challenges and maintain a good performance in facing of disastrous events. After the outbreak of Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Wuhan, China, numerous researchers have engaged in studying the experiences of front-line nurses in Wuhan from different perspectives. However, little is known on how the first batch front-line nurses developed their resilience trajectories during the disastrous events. The purpose of the present study is to explore the disaster resilience trajectory of the first batch front-line nurses at the early-stage of COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan, Hubei province.

METHOD

Qualitative research method was employed using purposive sampling. Nurses from Sichuan who had anti-epidemic experiences in Wuhan were selected to be conducted in-depth phone interviews. The interviews were transcribed verbatim, and data was analysed by adopting Colaizzi phenomenological approach.

RESULTS

Three theme categories emerged through the data analysis: (1) Challenges and difficulties; (2) Overcoming difficulties; (3) and Personal growth.

CONCLUSION

Nurses have accumulated relevant experiences in dealing with sudden public health events after the rescue task, which can provide psychological and material supports for coping with similar situation in the future. Additionally, multiple support systems were critical elements for front-line nurses to recover from the disaster. Through uncovering front-line nurses' disaster resilience trajectories, it is significant for health care organizations and managers to establish more comprehensive system in handling with public health emergency events.

Practices and experiences of European frontline nurses under the shadow of COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused health professionals to deal with new situations they have not encountered before. Nurses were forced to cope with increased workloads, seriously ill patients, numerous patient deaths, and unresolved ethical dilemmas. This study aimed to examine the lived experiences of nurses across Europe during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. This was a qualitative narrative research study. Eighteen nurses from eight European countries (four each from the UK and Israel, three from Portugal, two each from the Netherlands and Ireland, and one each from Belgium, Italy, and Sweden) submitted narratives about their professional experiences during May-June 2020. The narratives were analyzed using thematic analysis. Seven categories across the narratives were condensed and interpreted into three themes: opportunities and growth, care management, and emotional and ethical challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected nurses emotionally and provided an opportunity to actively develop systems and skills needed to minimize harm and maximize benefits to patients and nurses.

A One-Year Prospective Study of Work-Related Mental Health in the Intensivists of a COVID-19 Hub Hospital

The COVID-19 pandemic has severely tested the physical and mental health of health care workers (HCWs). The various stages of the epidemic have posed different problems; consequently, only a prospective study can effectively describe the changes in the workers' health. This repeated cross-sectional study is based on a one-year investigation (spring 2020 to spring 2021) of intensive care physicians in one of the two COVID-19 hub hospitals in Central Italy and aims to study the evolution of the mental health status of intensivists during the pandemic. Changes in their work activity due to the pandemic were studied anonymously together with their perception of organisational justice, occupational stress, sleep quality, anxiety, depression, burnout, job satisfaction, happiness, and intention to quit. In May-June 2021, one year after the baseline, doctors reported an increased workload, isolation at work and in their social life, a lack of time for physical activity and meditation, and compassion fatigue. Stress was inversely associated with the perception of justice in safety procedures and directly correlated with work isolation. Occupational stress was significantly associated with anxiety, depression, burnout, dissatisfaction, and their intention to quit. Procedural justice was significantly associated with happiness. Doctors believed vaccinations would help control the problem; however, this positive attitude had not yet resulted in improved mental health. Doctors reported high levels of distress (73%), sleep problems (28%), anxiety (25%), and depression (64%). Interventions to correct the situation are urgently needed.