» Articles » PMID: 35135617

A Qualitative Study on Safety Perception Among Healthcare Workers of a Tertiary Academic Care Center During the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic

Abstract

Background: Protecting healthcare workers (HCWs) from exposure to SARS-CoV-2 during patient care is central to managing the current pandemic. Higher levels of trust in personal protective equipment (PPE) and infection prevention and control (IPC) strategies have been previously related to lower levels of emotional exhaustion, yet little is known on how to achieve such a perception of safety. We thus sought to identify institutional actions, strategies and policies related to HCWs' safety perception during the early phase of the pandemic at a tertiary care center in Switzerland by interviewing HCWs from different clinics, professions, and positions.

Methods: For this qualitative study, 36 face-to-face semi-structured interviews were performed. Interviews were based on a guide that addressed the perception of institutional strategies and policies during the first phase of the pandemic in March 2020. The participants included doctors (n = 19) and nurses (n = 17) in senior and non-senior positions from eight clinics in the University Hospital Basel, Switzerland, all involved in patient care. All interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis and organized using MAXQDA (VERBI Software GmbH, Berlin).

Findings: Five recurring themes were identified to affect HCWs' perception of their safety during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: (1) transparency and clarity of information, (2) communication on the availability of PPE (with the provision of information alone increasing the feeling of safety even if supplies of PPE were reported as low), (3) uniformity and consistency of guidelines, (4) digital resources to support face-to-face teaching (although personal information transfer is still being considered superior in terms of strengthening safety perception) and (5) support and appreciation for the work performed.

Conclusions: This study identifies institutional policies and actions influencing HCWs' safety perception during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the most important of which is the factor of transparent communication. This knowledge reveals potential areas of action critical to improving preparedness and management in hospitals faced with an infectious disease threat.

Citing Articles

Exploring promotion factors of resilience among emergency nurses: a qualitative study in Shanghai, China.

Jiang J, Liu S, Chi C, Liu Y, Han P, Sun L BMJ Open. 2024; 14(3):e082231.

PMID: 38479745 PMC: 10936516. DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-082231.


A qualitative study on the perception of infection prevention and control measures among healthcare workers without patient contact during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

Ehrenzeller S, Kuehl R, Durovic A, Martinez A, Battegay M, von Rotz M Antimicrob Resist Infect Control. 2023; 12(1):43.

PMID: 37122021 PMC: 10149153. DOI: 10.1186/s13756-023-01246-8.


" Healthcare workers' perspectives on infection prevention and control during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Aulanko I, Nikuri P, Oksanen L, Oksanen S, Lahdentausta L, Pietiainen M Front Public Health. 2022; 10:982738.

PMID: 36438292 PMC: 9685526. DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.982738.


Factors Predicting Post-Traumatic Positive and Negative Psychological Changes Experienced by Nurses during a Pandemic COVID-19: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Nowicki G, Slusarska B, Zboina B, Jedrzejewska A, Kotus M Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022; 19(12).

PMID: 35742321 PMC: 9223076. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19127073.

References
1.
Tan R, Yu T, Luo K, Teng F, Liu Y, Luo J . Experiences of clinical first-line nurses treating patients with COVID-19: A qualitative study. J Nurs Manag. 2020; 28(6):1381-1390. PMC: 7404505. DOI: 10.1111/jonm.13095. View

2.
Liu Q, Luo D, Haase J, Guo Q, Wang X, Liu S . The experiences of health-care providers during the COVID-19 crisis in China: a qualitative study. Lancet Glob Health. 2020; 8(6):e790-e798. PMC: 7190296. DOI: 10.1016/S2214-109X(20)30204-7. View

3.
Sandelowski M . Whatever happened to qualitative description?. Res Nurs Health. 2000; 23(4):334-40. DOI: 10.1002/1098-240x(200008)23:4<334::aid-nur9>3.0.co;2-g. View

4.
Sun N, Wei L, Shi S, Jiao D, Song R, Ma L . A qualitative study on the psychological experience of caregivers of COVID-19 patients. Am J Infect Control. 2020; 48(6):592-598. PMC: 7141468. DOI: 10.1016/j.ajic.2020.03.018. View

5.
Tong A, Sainsbury P, Craig J . Consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ): a 32-item checklist for interviews and focus groups. Int J Qual Health Care. 2007; 19(6):349-57. DOI: 10.1093/intqhc/mzm042. View