The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on ICU Healthcare Professionals: A Mixed Methods Study

The large numbers of patients admitted to intensive care units due to COVID-19 has had a major impact on healthcare professionals. The incidence of mental health disorders among these professionals has increased considerably and their professional quality of life has suffered during the pandemic. Th...

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Main Authors: Cristina Moreno-Mulet, Noemí Sansó, Alba Carrero-Planells, Camelia López-Deflory, Laura Galiana, Patricia García-Pazo, Maria Magdalena Borràs-Mateu, Margalida Miró-Bonet
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-09-01
Series:International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/17/9243
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spelling doaj-436b5a5edb734830a600fa23a779a0252021-09-09T13:45:43ZengMDPI AGInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health1661-78271660-46012021-09-01189243924310.3390/ijerph18179243The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on ICU Healthcare Professionals: A Mixed Methods StudyCristina Moreno-Mulet0Noemí Sansó1Alba Carrero-Planells2Camelia López-Deflory3Laura Galiana4Patricia García-Pazo5Maria Magdalena Borràs-Mateu6Margalida Miró-Bonet7Department of Nursing and Physiotherapy, University of Balearic Islands, 07122 Palma, SpainDepartment of Nursing and Physiotherapy, University of Balearic Islands, 07122 Palma, SpainDepartment of Nursing and Physiotherapy, University of Balearic Islands, 07122 Palma, SpainDepartment of Nursing and Physiotherapy, University of Balearic Islands, 07122 Palma, SpainDepartment of Methodology for the Behavioral Sciences, University of Valencia, 46003 Valencia, SpainDepartment of Nursing and Physiotherapy, University of Balearic Islands, 07122 Palma, SpainDepartment of Nursing and Physiotherapy, University of Balearic Islands, 07122 Palma, SpainDepartment of Nursing and Physiotherapy, University of Balearic Islands, 07122 Palma, SpainThe large numbers of patients admitted to intensive care units due to COVID-19 has had a major impact on healthcare professionals. The incidence of mental health disorders among these professionals has increased considerably and their professional quality of life has suffered during the pandemic. This study aims to explore the impact of the provision of COVID-19 patient care on ICU healthcare professionals. A mixed methods study with an exploratory concurrent design was conducted between June and November 2020 in the Balearic Islands, Spain. Data were collected using a self-report online survey (<i>n</i> = 122) based on three validated questionnaires, and individual semi-structured in-depth online interviews (<i>n</i> = 11). Respondents scored 2.5 out of 5 on the moral distress scale, moderate/high on the compassion satisfaction scale, and moderate on the burnout and compassion fatigue subscales. Age was significantly and negatively related to professional quality of life but was positively related to workload and unavailability of protective equipment. Three main groups of themes relating to the impact of the pandemic emerged from the in-depth interviews: (a) clinical, (b) professional, and (c) personal and family impacts in the two waves. ICU healthcare professionals should be viewed as second victims of the COVID-19 pandemic as they have suffered significant psychological, professional, and moral harm.https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/17/9243COVID-19mixed methodsICU healthcare professionalsmoral distressprofessional quality of life
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Cristina Moreno-Mulet
Noemí Sansó
Alba Carrero-Planells
Camelia López-Deflory
Laura Galiana
Patricia García-Pazo
Maria Magdalena Borràs-Mateu
Margalida Miró-Bonet
spellingShingle Cristina Moreno-Mulet
Noemí Sansó
Alba Carrero-Planells
Camelia López-Deflory
Laura Galiana
Patricia García-Pazo
Maria Magdalena Borràs-Mateu
Margalida Miró-Bonet
The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on ICU Healthcare Professionals: A Mixed Methods Study
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
COVID-19
mixed methods
ICU healthcare professionals
moral distress
professional quality of life
author_facet Cristina Moreno-Mulet
Noemí Sansó
Alba Carrero-Planells
Camelia López-Deflory
Laura Galiana
Patricia García-Pazo
Maria Magdalena Borràs-Mateu
Margalida Miró-Bonet
author_sort Cristina Moreno-Mulet
title The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on ICU Healthcare Professionals: A Mixed Methods Study
title_short The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on ICU Healthcare Professionals: A Mixed Methods Study
title_full The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on ICU Healthcare Professionals: A Mixed Methods Study
title_fullStr The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on ICU Healthcare Professionals: A Mixed Methods Study
title_full_unstemmed The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on ICU Healthcare Professionals: A Mixed Methods Study
title_sort impact of the covid-19 pandemic on icu healthcare professionals: a mixed methods study
publisher MDPI AG
series International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
issn 1661-7827
1660-4601
publishDate 2021-09-01
description The large numbers of patients admitted to intensive care units due to COVID-19 has had a major impact on healthcare professionals. The incidence of mental health disorders among these professionals has increased considerably and their professional quality of life has suffered during the pandemic. This study aims to explore the impact of the provision of COVID-19 patient care on ICU healthcare professionals. A mixed methods study with an exploratory concurrent design was conducted between June and November 2020 in the Balearic Islands, Spain. Data were collected using a self-report online survey (<i>n</i> = 122) based on three validated questionnaires, and individual semi-structured in-depth online interviews (<i>n</i> = 11). Respondents scored 2.5 out of 5 on the moral distress scale, moderate/high on the compassion satisfaction scale, and moderate on the burnout and compassion fatigue subscales. Age was significantly and negatively related to professional quality of life but was positively related to workload and unavailability of protective equipment. Three main groups of themes relating to the impact of the pandemic emerged from the in-depth interviews: (a) clinical, (b) professional, and (c) personal and family impacts in the two waves. ICU healthcare professionals should be viewed as second victims of the COVID-19 pandemic as they have suffered significant psychological, professional, and moral harm.
topic COVID-19
mixed methods
ICU healthcare professionals
moral distress
professional quality of life
url https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/17/9243
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