First qualitative study of paediatric healthcare staff experiences working during the COVID-19 pandemic

Congratulations to UCD School of Medicine’s Dr Gráinne Donohue and Professor Fiona McNicholas, and all those involved, on their recently published research titled, ‘Lessons from a crisis: occupational stress in healthcare workers in an acute paediatric teaching hospital in Ireland’.

What is already known on this topic:

• Research exploring the impact of both COVID-19 and previous pandemics has highlighted the increased stress and poorer psychological functioning among healthcare workers and systems.
• For many already working in under-resourced and stretched conditions, the crisis of the pandemic led to high levels of stress, anxiety and depression among healthcare workers.

What this study adds:

• This is the first qualitative study of paediatric healthcare staff experiences working during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• This study uses retrospective data to reflect on an appropriate leadership response to future crises in paediatric healthcare.

How this study might affect research, practice or policy:

• This research supports the long-standing need to increase mental health service investment and to implement an appropriate response to regain and maintain a healthy workforce, post-COVID-19.
• Any organisational response should address the biopsychosocial needs of the individual and acknowledge the sacrifice of healthcare workers during a crisis.
• Healthcare organisations should work dynamically, creatively and collaboratively to ensure the psychological safety of its workforce.

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic placed increased pressure on service provision and healthcare worker (HCW) wellness. As the crisis of the pandemic receded, paediatric healthcare staff required an appropriate response to facilitate individual and organisational recovery, to minimise long-term HCW burn-out and to be better equipped for future crisis in paediatric healthcare.

Objective: To explore the experiences of HCWs working during the COVID-19 pandemic in an acute paediatric hospital to determine an appropriate leadership response in the postcrisis work environment.

Methods: Qualitative research design using responses from open-ended questions from 133 clinical and non-clinical staff (89% clinical) from an Irish paediatric teaching hospital. Responses were thematically analysed.

Results: Paediatric HCWs experienced frustration, uncertainty, anxiety and stress, during the pandemic crisis. Perceived organisational contributors included communication inconsistencies, inadequate support and resources, including staff shortages. This exposed remaining staff to high risk for long-term burn-out as the pandemic recedes. Three themes were developed detailing this: support, communication and trust.

Conclusion: This research supports the long-standing need to increase mental health service investment and to implement an appropriate response to regain and maintain a healthy workforce, post-COVID-19. The organisational response should address the biopsychosocial needs of the individual and paediatric healthcare organisations should work dynamically, creatively and collaboratively to ensure the psychological safety of their workforce.

 

The COVID-19 pandemic has been the biggest disruptor to healthcare systems and workers in recent history. In the face of adversity, HCWs have to abandon personal security and risk their lives to ensure the safety of patients under their care. Although the pandemic demonstrated the capacity of workers to face these challenges head-on, it also created intensely stressful experiences for a system already under pressure. As the crisis of the pandemic recedes, there is an onus on healthcare organisations to regain and maintain a healthy workforce and to address the inevitable burn-out that is so prevalent after a crisis. However, since burn-out is a complex, and multifaceted phenomenon solutions to address this issue must be equally dynamic in response.

Read the full article here.