ABSTRACT
Maternity service providers have struggled to provide high-quality services to women and newborns during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic which has substantially impacted health systems and disrupted maternity services globally. Nepal is a resources-limited country that reported a significant impact of the pandemic on maternal health services. It is therefore important to understand better the perspective of health care professionals in this context. This study intends to explore the experiences of nurses providing maternity care in the public sector during the COVID-19 pandemic in Nepal. A qualitative study using a phenomenological design was conducted. Altogether ten nurses working in maternity services were selected using purposive sampling technique. Data were collected by face-to-face in-depth interviews using a semi-structured interview guide. Thematic analysis was conducted using Clarke and Braun 2006 technique. The findings of the study were organized into codes, sub-themes and themes. The six themes identified were fear of COVID-19 at work, challenges at work, changes at work and services, motivations to work, stigma due to COVID-19, and impact on services. Participants described how maternity services could not be stopped during the pandemic. They had experienced decreased utilization of antenatal services as a consequence of ‘lockdown' thereby leading to an increase in maternal and neonatal mortality. Respondents reported ineffective human resource management compromising the quality of care. The professional responsibility to cope with adverse circumstances and serve society is a major source of motivation that health workers relied upon to get them through the pandemic period. A wide range of challenges were faced by service providers during the pandemic which requires action and support of all levels of government, institutions and society-at-large to assure the continued provision of safe maternity care during such a protracted period of challenging work.
ABSTRACT
Maternity service providers have struggled to provide high-quality services to women and newborns during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic which has substantially impacted health systems and disrupted maternity services globally. Nepal is a resources-limited country that reported a significant impact of the pandemic on maternal health services. It is therefore important to understand better the perspective of health care professionals in this context. This study intends to explore the experiences of nurses providing maternity care in the public sector during the COVID-19 pandemic in Nepal. A qualitative study using a phenomenological design was conducted. Altogether ten nurses working in maternity services were selected using purposive sampling technique. Data were collected by face-to-face in-depth interviews using a semi-structured interview guide. Thematic analysis was conducted using Clarke and Braun 2006 technique. The findings of the study were organized into codes, sub-themes and themes. The six themes identified were fear of COVID-19 at work, challenges at work, changes at work and services, motivations to work, stigma due to COVID-19, and impact on services. Participants described how maternity services could not be stopped during the pandemic. They had experienced decreased utilization of antenatal services as a consequence of 'lockdown' thereby leading to an increase in maternal and neonatal mortality. Respondents reported ineffective human resource management compromising the quality of care. The professional responsibility to cope with adverse circumstances and serve society is a major source of motivation that health workers relied upon to get them through the pandemic period. A wide range of challenges were faced by service providers during the pandemic which requires action and support of all levels of government, institutions and society-at-large to assure the continued provision of safe maternity care during such a protracted period of challenging work.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Addressing adequately the mental health during and after COVID-19, as well as preparation for possible future outbreaks, requires an understanding of the nature and extent of mental health impacts, factors related to negative mental health outcomes and symptoms of mental illness. The aim of this study was to find the prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress among nurses providing care to the COVID-19 patients. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from 10th April 2021 to 30th June 2021 among 301 nurses from three COVID-19 dedicated hospitals using self-administered questionnaires. Whole sampling technique was used. Ethical approval was obtained from the Ethical Review Board of Nepal Health Research Council (Registration number: 106/2021P). The data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 16. Descriptive statistics like frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation were calculated. RESULTS: Out of 301 nurses, the prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress was 258 (85.72%), 189 (62.80%) and 151 (49.84%) respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The study has shown a higher prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress among nurses in comparison to other studies in the similar settings. A quick assessment of the mental health status and mental health requirements of nurses would be helpful in responding to and reducing psychological distress in the crisis situation. The mental health status of nurses should thus be closely monitored by the employing health institutions including managing their workload, providing emotional support and responding to their personal needs.