Psychosocial, emotional and professional challenges faced by female healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 outbreak in Lahore, Pakistan: a qualitative study (original) (raw)
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2020
Background: The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is disseminating rapidly, increasing stress and challenges for health care professionals around the world. This study aims to discover the psychosocial challenges faced by female health care professionals (HCPs) treating COVID-19 patients in Pakistan.Methods: Using an empirical phenomenological methodology, semi-structured telephone-based qualitative interviews were taken from 22 female HCPs who were providing their expertise for COVID-19 patients in tertiary level hospitals of Lahore, Pakistan. Purposive sampling has been used for recruitment. The interviews were taken from July 20 to August 20, 2020. The interviews were analysed using thematic analysis.Results: This study discovered the psychosocial challenges faced by female HCPs serving COVID-19 patients. Five themes have been observed in the interviews: psychological concerns of HCPs while treating COVID-19 patients; feelings towards COVID-19 patients; confidence in governmen...
Women Nurses' Lived Experiences with Covid-19 Patients. A Challenging Situation
Aim of the Study: Corona virus (covid-19) has seriously affected health care systems across the countries. In some countries, including Pakistan, the consequences of the pandemic reached to the collapse of the health care systems. Women staff nurses as an essential part of the health care system also faced challenges while caring covid-19 patients. This study, is thus, explored women nurses' lived experiences while dealing with the covid-19 patients in the government hospitals of Mardan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). Methodology: Data for the study come from 19 interviews conducted with women nurses working in government hospitals in district Mardan, KP. Feminist epistemology guided the methodological procedure of the study. Smith's theory of women's standpoint is used to explore women nurses' lived experiences with the covid-19 patients. Qualitative thematic analysis technique helped in the analysis of data. Findings and Conclusion: The study found that dealing with the covid-19 patients was a challenging job for women staff nurses. Women staff nurses faced the situation of lack of knowledge about covid-19, non-availability of covid-19 personal protective equipment (PPE) KIT, and stress and fear was common among women nurses while dealing with the covid-19 patients. The study recommends proper training of women nurses along with ensuring health safety measurements for health emergency services, including covid-19.
BMJ Open
ObjectiveTo explore healthcare provider’s perspectives and experiences of the barriers and facilitators to treat and manage COVID-19 cases.Design and settingWe conducted an exploratory qualitative study using a purposive sampling approach, at a private tertiary care teaching hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. Study data were analysed manually using the conventional content analysis technique.ParticipantsKey-informant interviews (KIIs) were conducted with senior management and hospital leadership and in-depth interviews (IDIs) were conducted with front-line healthcare providers.ResultsA total of 31 interviews (KIIs=19; IDIs=12) were conducted, between April and May 2020. Three overarching themes emerged. The first was ‘challenges faced by front-line healthcare providers working in COVID-19 wards. Healthcare workers experienced increased anxiety due to the fear of acquiring infection and transmitting it to their family members. They felt overwhelmed due to the exhaustive donning and doffi...
Pakistan Journal of Health Sciences
The pandemic has caused severe psychological distress among Healthcare Workers. They were readily exposed to extreme workloads and physical and emotional turbulence throughout the pandemic which impacted them on both professional and personal fronts. Objectives: To explore the adverse impacts of Covid-19 on the mental health of the Healthcare Workers while delving into the relationship between occupational stress, communal norms, and mental health outcomes. Methods: It utilizes content gathered through observation and in-depth interviews of the frontline Healthcare Workers (n=32) that included doctors (n=14), nurses (n=12), and domestic staff (n=6) working in three COVID-19 treatment centers made in three major cities of Punjab, Pakistan, (Lahore, Faisalabad, and Sialkot) during Covid-19. Results: The results were divided into two themes followed by their sub-themes based on the results gathered through data collection tools. The themes were analyzed using the transactional model of...
Experiences of women in the COVID-19 context: a phenomenological study
2020
The pandemic COVID-19 has undoubtedly affected every section of the population equally and women are no exception. It will be interesting and beneficial to study the experiences of women in the current COVID-19 situation in the Indian context taking into account the gender differences in role expectations allocation and fulfilment. With this background the current study is proposed. Exploratory research design (Hermeneutic phenomenological approach) will be used. Women residing in Bengaluru, Karnataka, India, will be the sample. The sample will be selected from Non-Governmental Organizations working for women in difficult circumstances and from Women’s Associations. The sample size is tentatively decided as 60 which will be reviewed after initial data collection. An interview guide prepared by the research team will be used for data collection. Telephonic interviews will be conducted. Data will be transcribed and analysed. The study has received clearance from institutional ethics c...
Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being, 2021
As health systems rapidly respond to COVID-19, it is unclear how these changes influence the experiences and wellbeing of female healthcare providers (FHCPs), including the potential for FHCPs to develop compassion fatigue and secondary traumatic stress. We conducted qualitative interviews (n = 15) with FHCPs at three locations (Washington, California, and New York). Interviews explored FHCP's perspectives on how care delivery changed, processes of information delivery and decision-making, gender inclusion, and approaches to managing stress and well-being. An inductive coding process was used to generate themes. FHCPs described significant changes to the way they delivered care, and their work environments, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Five themes emerged that characterized the experiences of FHCPs during COVID-19, including conflicting feelings while providing care, managing information and decisions, balancing roles, coping and well-being, and considerations for moving forward. FHCPs experienced many impacts to their professional and personal lives during COVID-19 that further complicated their ability to manage stress and well-being. The themes identified through this work offer important lessons about how to support the well-being of FHCPs and signify the widespread potential for compassion fatigue among FHCPs as a result of COVID-19.
BMJ Open, 2021
IntroductionIn the wake of the unprecedented public health challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is highly significant to recognise the mental health impact of this mounting threat on healthcare providers (HCPs) working in the obstetrics and gynaecology department. Experience from epidemics and emerging literature around COVID-19 show that the unparalleled amount of stress that HCPs are dealing with is linked with the increased burden of mental health conditions. We aim to conduct an exploratory qualitative descriptive study to assess HCPs’ perceptions of mental health amid the COVID-19 pandemic in the obstetrics and gynaecology department of a public sector tertiary care hospital of Karachi, Pakistan.Methods and analysisThis study will use a qualitative descriptive approach where approximately 20–25 HCPs from the obstetrics and gynaecology department will be recruited using a purposive sampling approach. Data will be collected through semistructured interviews and it will be analy...
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Various changes have affected health services delivery in response to the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, and this may exhibit unprecedented effects on healthcare workers (HCWs). This study aimed to explore the lived experience of physicians and nurses caring for patients with COVID-19 in Jordan. An interpretative phenomenology approach was used, and sampling was purposively performed. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews using an online meeting platform (Zoom®). Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed. The data were obtained from 26 physicians and nurses caring for patients with COVID-19. The mean age of the participants was 29.41 years (SD = 2.72). Six main themes and 17 subthemes were identified: (i) emotional reactions; (ii) preparation; (iii) source of support; (iv) extreme workload; (v) occupational challenges, and (vi) work-related concerns. The results showed that nurses and physicians caring for COVID-19 patients in Jorda...
Challenges of Women Healthcare Providers during Covid-19 Pandemic in Aizawl City, Mizoram, India
https://ijshr.com/IJSHR\_Vol.6\_Issue.3\_July2021/IJSHR-Abstract.038.html, 2021
Background: The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic had a significant influence on people's health, economics, social, and political life. The infection has spread around the world, increasing the stress and challenges faced by healthcare personnel everywhere. Women health workers were actively engaged in the prevention, promotion, and protection of Covid-19, holding important positions as doctors, nurses, laboratory technicians, and contributing important role in various other aspects; this virus had an impact on the women health workers' personal lives, mental, physical, and biological health. Aim and Objective: To explore the challenges faced by women health providers confront during Covid-19 pandemic. Methods: Structured questionnaire was administered among 100 women healthcare providers (nurse, radiographer, laboratory workers) who are working in the different healthcare settings in Aizawl district, Mizoram using online open data kit website. The quantitative data is processed and analysed with the help of Ms Excel and SPSS software. Results and Conclusion: The study found that women healthcare providers are facing difficulties in balancing work and personal life, adjustment to changes in lifestyle, decrease of interest in work, irregular supply of PPE and fear of exposure. Thus, the respondent suggested continuing working with good supportive equipment's is necessary so as to execute their duties efficiently. The study concludes that effective measures must be taken to ensure safety at workplace.
ACM Journal on Computing and Sustainable Societies
This mixed methods study investigates the experiences of healthcare workers (HCWs) along gender lines during the Covid-19 pandemic in Lahore, the second most populous city in Pakistan. In-person semi-structured interviews ( n =62) and researcher-administered surveys ( n =631) were conducted with doctors and nurses in five private and public hospitals. The findings reveal that male and female HCWs shared experiences related to increased working hours, psychological burdens, and adverse financial impacts. However, female HCWs struggled more than male HCWs, as their responsibilities at home and in the workplace increased. Additionally, more female HCWs than their male peers reported experiencing occupational stress due to transportation issues, working during pregnancy, and discriminatory attitudes of the patients toward them. Building on the results from our study, we propose several technological and policy initiatives that can be adopted by governments and organizations, especially ...