Experiences Of Frontline Healthcare Workers

Mental Health organisations have seen increased anxiety, despair, loneliness, and other mental health difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

COVID-19 has had a negative and significant impact on mental health around the world, particularly among people battling the virus.

 

Since Leva Clinic many individuals are dealing with the fear and uncertainty of COVID-19 from the security of their homes, essential employees, such as healthcare workers, must be exposed to the virus regularly.

 

Healthcare personnel are also working in situations that have been compared to a war zone, as they are constantly witnessing the pandemic's direct effects as it sweeps throughout communities. 

 

We must give resources to assist healthcare personnel in dealing with the mental health consequences of their jobs.

 

This article will describe the common psychosocial experiences frontline health workers face during the Covid-19 pandemic.

 

Common psychosocial experiences 

 

Following are the common psychosocial experienced faced by frontline health workers during a pandemic.

 

 

 

 

 

Obligation and fear 

 

Most people volunteered to fight COVID-19 and felt obligated to do so. As nurses, they felt ethically obligated to "heal the injured and save the dying" as nurses. They felt that they should serve their people and country whenever possible as citizens.

 

When they decided to join the COVID-19 frontline, all participants experienced fear.

 

Their worries included a lack of information about the disease, the risk of infection to themselves and others, and working in a foreign setting, which added to the participants' unease. During this phase, the individuals frequently expressed nervousness and worry.

 

Concerns for self

 

During all pandemics, the most common concern among most staff groups was becoming infected with the virus.

 

Fears of contamination were increased by inadequate PPE, a recurring subject in numerous publications covering multiple countries and pandemics.

 

Concern for others 

 

Although some frontline employees exhibited less concern for their immediate health, they did express great care for others. Workers were worried about their families being sick, and they were especially worried that they would pass the illness on to their loved ones.

 

Many people made sacrifices and stayed away from their loved ones to protect them.

Participants were preoccupied and distressed by the possibility of other healthcare workers contracting the illness.

 

From Being Overwhelmed to Growing Confidence

 

Aside from the unforeseen anxieties and fears, participants felt overwhelmed by unexpected occurrences early in anti-COVID-19. On their first day of work, several volunteers were overwhelmed by the number of patients awaiting care.

 

Several participants described feeling helpless and unprepared when presented with their patients' sudden deaths and their distress and anxieties. Confirmed instances were confined towards.

 

They didn't have much contact with family members who may have COVID-19 or have died from it. Many of these frontline healthcare workers found it difficult to provide psychological and bereavement care to their patients.

 

As they gained more experience and training, most participants gradually became more confident in caring for COVID-19 patients. 

 

Participants received preventive measures and standard operating procedures as part of the training, which improved their job safety and sense of security.

 

 They were confident in the personal protection equipment's function and felt safe wearing it. Some participants also stated that the problem of a lack of personal protective equipment was immediately resolved, which boosted their confidence.

 

Practical and environmental issues 

 

Practical and environmental difficulties in the healthcare environment impacted healthcare professionals. While proper PPE alleviated most healthcare workers' anxieties, it was also highlighted in several articles that the PPE caused discomfort and hampered communication.

 

 

The environments in which healthcare staff treated pandemic victims were unfit for purpose and lacked necessary supplies.

 

Workload 

 

Healthcare workers frequently reported heavy workloads that impacted their mental health. Staff shortages (due to inadequate staffing or staff absences due to illness or caring duties) necessitated overtime work. As a result, workers were tired and making mistakes.

 

Staff shortages exacerbated the situation, requiring employees to work extra. As a result, the workers were tired and made blunders.

 

However, several participants have expressed guilt about taking time off to rest due to staffing constraints. Even when a break was possible, it was not always possible.

 

Sick pay was sometimes significantly lower than regular pay, and some employees were not paid if they could not work. This resulted in substantial financial difficulty and a desire for some people to work even while sick. 

 

On the other hand, workers felt abandoned and deceived when financial payment was promised but never delivered. Such betrayals of trust worsened healthcare employees' already-existing dissatisfaction.

 

Media and public 

 

The way the epidemic was portrayed in the media had positive and negative consequences.

Many healthcare workers felt the media's portrayal of the pandemic was exaggerated. 

 

These portrayals were also blamed for deterring people from seeking medical attention for other reasons, harming public health and costing hospitals money.

 

On the other hand, the media was frequently a source of information that healthcare workers found useful, particularly when they thought their organisations were being kept in the dark. 

 

The media was also acknowledged as helping mobilise resources and fight for healthcare professionals, such as increasing pressure on the government to give greater personal protection equipment.

 

The public's support was regarded as critical, and when the public failed to follow associated orders, it produced concern and irritation among healthcare staff.

 

Stigma 

 

Many of the research participants mentioned feeling stigmatised due to their work on the pandemic. This was most noticeable during the early stages of the outbreaks or in situations where little was known about the virus's spread.

 

This stigma extended to healthcare professionals' families, with some alleging discrimination against their children. Some healthcare employees faced hypocrisy when publicly praised for their efforts but were discriminated against privately.

 

Personal and professional growth

 

In addition to the difficulties mentioned above, many healthcare employees reported enjoying and rewarding parts of their jobs and feeling "important" and "meaningful" employment.

 

These feelings grew stronger when personnel observed patients improve and leave the unit and as the incidence of infections and deaths decreased over time. Others' gratitude, such as that of patients, their families, and society, have boosted their sense of fulfilment.

 

Many healthcare personnel found significance in their employment even during the most trying times.

 

Overcoming such enormous hurdles put the participants to the test and gave some of them a higher feeling of professional confidence and competency. 

 

Several studies highlighted that employees were obtaining new abilities and information they felt would help them in their future employment, particularly if they ever worked again during a pandemic.

 

Some also mentioned personal improvement and increased confidence in one's resiliency. Nonetheless, finding meaning in their work and taking pride in their accomplishments did not protect healthcare employees from the work's long-term consequences.

 

Conclusion 

 

Healthcare workers' experiences during COVID-19 are not uncommon. We now have the opportunity to explore previous pandemics and better support frontline healthcare workers.

 

More high-quality qualitative research is needed to better understand the healthcare workforce's experiences, needs, and preferences, especially frontline healthcare workers whose voices have yet to be effectively represented.

 

We need to design clinical guidelines that are specific to this workforce. This guidance should be produced in cooperation with and with the participation of healthcare workers. 

 

Interventions to prevent and treat mental illness in healthcare professionals must be devised, and their timing, effectiveness, and acceptability must all be thoroughly assessed. 

 

We have an opportunity to decrease COVID-19's harmful mental health effects and assist the long-term well-being of the global healthcare workforce.