Exploring the Experience of Healthcare Workers Who Returned to Work After Recovering From COVID-19: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Background: To date, a large body of literature focuses on the experience of healthcare providers who cared for COVID-19 patients. Qualitative studies exploring the experience of healthcare workers in the workplace after recovering from COVID-19 are limited. This study aimed to describe the experience of healthcare workers who returned to work after recovering from COVID-19.Methods: This study employed a qualitative descriptive approach with a constructionist epistemology. Data were collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews with 20 nurses and physicians, and thematic analysis was used to identify themes from the interview transcripts.Results: Three major themes about the psychological experiences of healthcare workers who had recovered from COVID-19 and returned to work were identified: (1) holding multi-faceted attitudes toward the career (sub-themes: increased professional identity, changing relationships between nurses, patients, and physicians, and drawing new boundaries between work and family), (2) struggling at work (sub-themes: poor interpersonal relationships due to COVID-19 stigma, emotional symptom burden, physical symptom burden, and workplace accommodations), (3) striving to return to normality (sub-themes: deliberate detachment, different forms of social support in the workplace, and long-term care from organizations).Conclusions: The findings have highlighted opportunities and the necessity to promote health for this population. Programs centered around support, care, and stress management should be developed by policymakers and organizations. By doing this, healthcare workers would be better equipped to face ongoing crises as COVID-19 continues.

Return to Work of Healthcare Workers after SARS-CoV-2 Infection: Determinants of Physical and Mental Health

“…At the moment of returning to work, difficulties can be faced by those who have been affected by COVID-19 and have experienced physical and psychological disturbances as well as the reorganization of work, the loss of productivity, and the reduced ability to work [ 18 ]. In this current scenario, it is important to deeply understand the experience of HCWs affected by COVID-19 who return to work, to support their occupational health and well-being [ 19 , 20 ], and also to identify at-risk groups.…”

Evaluation of physical and psychological status of health care workers infected with COVID-19 during a hospital outbreak in Japan

“…This result may be due to the high professionalism and responsibility HCWs assumed for their jobs. The relatively short 2-week period of RTW compared to other reports in the early phase of COVID-19 pandemic may support this supposition [ 31 , 32 ].…”

Anxiety and depression as predictors of life satisfaction during pre-professional health internships in COVID-19 times: the mediating role of psychological well-being

“…Therefore, it can be assumed that the continuous emotional reaction of pre-professional interns while attending their practice center could have caused a perception that was more focused on their life situation, which is an important indicator of life satisfaction, where they considered themselves lucky compared with the inpatients or the infected staff who are suffering. This is what another study revealed when digging into the experience of health workers in China, who returned to work after recovering from COVID-19 ( Zhang et al, 2021 ).…”