Immediate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the work and personal lives of Australian hospital clinical staff

Abstract

Objective. This study investigated the short-term psychosocial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on hospital clinical staff, specifically their self-reported concerns and perceived impact on their work and personal lives.Methods. Nurses, midwives, doctors and allied health staff at a large metropolitan tertiary health service in Melbourne, Australia, completed an anonymous online cross-sectional survey between 15 May and 10 June 2020. The survey assessed respondents' COVID-19 contact status, concerns related to COVID-19 and other effects of COVID-19. Space was provided for free-text comments.Results. Respondents were mostly concerned about contracting COVID-19, infecting family members and caring for patients with COVID-19. Concerns about accessing and using personal protective equipment, redeployment and their ability to provide high-quality patient care during the pandemic were also reported. Pregnant staff expressed uncertainty about the possible impact of COVID-19 on their pregnancy. Despite their concerns, few staff had considered resigning, and positive aspects of the pandemic were also described. Conclusion.The COVID-19 pandemic has had a considerable impact on the work and personal lives of hospital clinical staff. Staff, particularly those who are pregnant, would benefit from targeted well-being and support initiatives that address their concerns and help them manage their work and personal lives.What is known about the topic? The COVID-19 pandemic is having an impact on healthcare workers' psychological well-being. Little is known about their COVID-19-related concerns and the perceived impact of the pandemic on their work and personal lives, particularly hospital clinical staff during the 'first wave' of the pandemic in Australia. What does this paper add? This paper contributes to a small but emerging evidence base about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the work and personal lives of hospital clinical staff. Most staff were concerned about their own health and the risk to their families, friends and colleagues. Despite their concerns, few had considered resigning. Uncertainty about the possible impact of COVID-19 on pregnancy was also reported. What are the implications for practitioners? During the current and future pandemics, staff, especially those who are pregnant, would benefit from targeted well-being and support initiatives that address their concerns and help them manage the impact on their health, work and personal lives.

Change in nurses’ psychosocial characteristics pre- and post-electronic medical record system implementation coinciding with the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: pre- and post-cross-sectional surveys

“… [27] Negative pandemic impacts on healthcare workers has included stress, depression and anxiety, though few (11.6%) considered leaving their jobs in one Australian study. [28] Our study identified a higher proportion of nurses with high intention to leave their roles (n = 138, 35.2%).…”

“…When discussing the survey with potential participants, many nurses expressed willingness to participate due to the topical nature of the project. However, the survey response rate (9.76%), comparable with a survey of a different Victorian healthcare organisation during 2020, [28] may be indicative of competing priorities within the clinical setting, particularly in the context of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. The project team believe the diverse nurse participants, responses from all eligible hospital sites and study findings correlating to previous research examining nurses’ well-being, intention to stay, burnout, work engagement, work satisfaction and motivation to use technology (including psychosocial factors) support the potential transferability of these study findings.…”

We're on mute! Exclusion of nurses' voices in national decisions and responses to COVID‐19: An international perspective

“…As well as high levels of psychological distress, the pandemic has also had a negative effect on nurses' work and personal lives. Nurses in all countries have reported concerns about contracting COVID‐19, putting colleagues and family members at risk and caring for infected patients; the challenges of wearing and lack of access to personal protective equipment; the stress of being redeployed to other areas and undertaking different duties than normal; difficulties managing paid work and family responsibilities, including supporting children with remote learning; and experiencing moral distress when they are unable to deliver the care they wish to (Couper et al, 2021 ; Holton, Wynter, Trueman, et al, 2021 ).…”

Tackling the first COVID-19 wave at the Cape Town Hospital of Hope: Why was it such a positive experience for staff?

“…Steve Reid 1 * Mitan Nana 2 Theo Abrahams 3 Nadia Hussey 3 Ronit Okun-Netter 3 Tasleem Ras 4 Klaus von Pressentin 4 1 Primary Health Care Directorate, University of Cape Town 2 Dean's office, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town 3 Western Cape Department of Health 4 Division of Family Medicine, University of Cape Town…”

“…1 Much of the evidence currently available reports the experiences of staff working at established hospitals, whereas for field hospitals reports are lacking. An Australian study 2 found that the pandemic had a significant effect on the psychological well-being of hospital clinical staff: most were concerned about contracting COVID-19, infecting family members and caring for patients with COVID-19, but positive aspects were also described. However, the literature has so far offered limited insight into the experiences of staff stationed at dedicated field hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic.…”