“The usual challenges of work are all magnified”: Australian paediatric health professionals’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly increased stress and strain on health professionals. With a focus on paediatric cardiac care, this study explored health professionals’ concerns about COVID-19, perceptions of the impact of pandemic on healthcare, and experiences of psychological s...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2023-03-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Cardiology Congenital Heart Disease |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666668522001173 |
| _version_ | 1811154706857197568 |
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| author | Farah Akram Madeleine Pidcock Diane Oake Gary F. Sholler Michelle A. Farrar Nadine A. Kasparian |
| author_facet | Farah Akram Madeleine Pidcock Diane Oake Gary F. Sholler Michelle A. Farrar Nadine A. Kasparian |
| author_sort | Farah Akram |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly increased stress and strain on health professionals. With a focus on paediatric cardiac care, this study explored health professionals’ concerns about COVID-19, perceptions of the impact of pandemic on healthcare, and experiences of psychological stress. Methods: Paediatric health professionals working at a large quaternary hospital in Australia were invited to complete a survey between June 2020 and February 2021. Demographic factors, clinical role characteristics, and anxiety and depressive symptoms were assessed. Qualitative data on experiences and perceived effects of the pandemic on paediatric cardiac care were also collected. Results: 228 health professionals (152 nurses, 37 medical doctors, 22 allied and mental health professionals, 17 medical research and administrative staff) participated in the survey (54.4% response rate, 85% women). Half the sample (52.2%) endorsed ‘moderate’ to ‘extreme’ worry about COVID-19 and 38% of participants perceived healthcare services as adversely impacted by the pandemic to a ‘great’ or ‘very great’ extent. Almost one in five health professionals reported anxiety (18%) and 11% reported depressive symptoms indicative of a need for clinical intervention. Six themes were identified in the qualitative data: (1) Concern about the consequences of visitor restrictions and disrupted patient services, (2) Intensified strain on healthcare workers, (3) Feelings of fear and loss, (4) Social isolation and disconnection, (5) Adapting to change, and (6) Gratitude. Conclusion: Timely, tailored policies, supports, and interventions are needed to address health professionals’ mental health needs during and beyond the pandemic, to minimize the far-reaching impact of situational stressors. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T04:20:34Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-521f91e0994c4e068fee76ca0da4f8ca |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2666-6685 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T04:20:34Z |
| publishDate | 2023-03-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Cardiology Congenital Heart Disease |
| spelling | doaj.art-521f91e0994c4e068fee76ca0da4f8ca2023-03-11T04:20:46ZengElsevierInternational Journal of Cardiology Congenital Heart Disease2666-66852023-03-0111100434“The usual challenges of work are all magnified”: Australian paediatric health professionals’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemicFarah Akram0Madeleine Pidcock1Diane Oake2Gary F. Sholler3Michelle A. Farrar4Nadine A. Kasparian5Heart Centre for Children, The Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, Sydney, Australia; Discipline of Paediatrics and Child Health, School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW Medicine and Health, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, AustraliaHeart Centre for Children, The Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, Sydney, Australia; Discipline of Paediatrics and Child Health, School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW Medicine and Health, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, AustraliaHeart Centre for Children, The Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, Sydney, Australia; Discipline of Paediatrics and Child Health, School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW Medicine and Health, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, AustraliaHeart Centre for Children, The Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, Sydney, Australia; Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, AustraliaDiscipline of Paediatrics and Child Health, School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW Medicine and Health, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia; Department of Neurology, Randwick, Sydney Children's Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, AustraliaCenter for Heart Disease and Mental Health, Heart Institute and the Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, United States; Corresponding author. Center for Heart Disease and Mental Health, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Avenue (MLC 7039), Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA.Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly increased stress and strain on health professionals. With a focus on paediatric cardiac care, this study explored health professionals’ concerns about COVID-19, perceptions of the impact of pandemic on healthcare, and experiences of psychological stress. Methods: Paediatric health professionals working at a large quaternary hospital in Australia were invited to complete a survey between June 2020 and February 2021. Demographic factors, clinical role characteristics, and anxiety and depressive symptoms were assessed. Qualitative data on experiences and perceived effects of the pandemic on paediatric cardiac care were also collected. Results: 228 health professionals (152 nurses, 37 medical doctors, 22 allied and mental health professionals, 17 medical research and administrative staff) participated in the survey (54.4% response rate, 85% women). Half the sample (52.2%) endorsed ‘moderate’ to ‘extreme’ worry about COVID-19 and 38% of participants perceived healthcare services as adversely impacted by the pandemic to a ‘great’ or ‘very great’ extent. Almost one in five health professionals reported anxiety (18%) and 11% reported depressive symptoms indicative of a need for clinical intervention. Six themes were identified in the qualitative data: (1) Concern about the consequences of visitor restrictions and disrupted patient services, (2) Intensified strain on healthcare workers, (3) Feelings of fear and loss, (4) Social isolation and disconnection, (5) Adapting to change, and (6) Gratitude. Conclusion: Timely, tailored policies, supports, and interventions are needed to address health professionals’ mental health needs during and beyond the pandemic, to minimize the far-reaching impact of situational stressors.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666668522001173COVID-19PandemicCongenital heart diseasePaediatricsHealth professionalsPsychological stress |
| spellingShingle | Farah Akram Madeleine Pidcock Diane Oake Gary F. Sholler Michelle A. Farrar Nadine A. Kasparian “The usual challenges of work are all magnified”: Australian paediatric health professionals’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic International Journal of Cardiology Congenital Heart Disease COVID-19 Pandemic Congenital heart disease Paediatrics Health professionals Psychological stress |
| title | “The usual challenges of work are all magnified”: Australian paediatric health professionals’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_full | “The usual challenges of work are all magnified”: Australian paediatric health professionals’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_fullStr | “The usual challenges of work are all magnified”: Australian paediatric health professionals’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_full_unstemmed | “The usual challenges of work are all magnified”: Australian paediatric health professionals’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_short | “The usual challenges of work are all magnified”: Australian paediatric health professionals’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_sort | the usual challenges of work are all magnified australian paediatric health professionals experiences during the covid 19 pandemic |
| topic | COVID-19 Pandemic Congenital heart disease Paediatrics Health professionals Psychological stress |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666668522001173 |
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