Original title: The experiences of health-care providers during the COVID-19 crisis in China: a qualitative study
Researchers interviewed nurses and doctors who worked in COVID-19 hospitals in Hubei during the early outbreak. They asked about the providers’ experiences and looked for shared themes in their answers. The providers felt responsible for patients, but faced heavy workloads, tiring protective gear, fear of infection, and difficult situations they felt powerless to change. They also described support from others and ways of coping. The researchers argue that health-care workers need training and broad support during crises.
Imagine taking over a busy kitchen during a rush. The work is unfamiliar, the orders keep coming, and the heat and pace leave you drained; you may worry about making mistakes and letting people down. In this paper, the kitchen rush stands for the COVID-19 wards, the new demands stand for the challenges providers described, and help from colleagues stands for the support that helped them cope.
People caring for patients in a crisis need more than protective equipment: they also need training and support for the physical and emotional strain. The providers’ accounts point to both the difficulties that can undermine their wellbeing and the ways they coped.
The abstract reports interviews with nine nurses and four physicians from five designated hospitals in Hubei during a short period early in the outbreak. It does not establish how common these experiences were among all health-care providers, how experiences changed over time, or whether the recommended training and support improve wellbeing or crisis care.
Ask anything about this paper. Answers come from its abstract, and say so when the abstract doesn't cover your question.
The experiences of health-care providers during the COVID-19 crisis in China: a qualitative study — Qian Liu, Dan Luo, Joan E. Haase et al. — The Lancet Global Health — doi:10.1016/s2214-109x(20)30204-7
Abstract licence: CC BY
Explanation generated by Synthesis from the abstract — it is not the original paper.