Listening and learning from the COVID-19 frontline in one US healthcare system

Purpose: The on-going COVID-19 pandemic has drastically impacted healthcare systems worldwide. Understanding the perspectives and insights of frontline healthcare workers caring for and interacting with patients with COVID-19 represents a timely, topical, and important area of research. The purpose of this qualitative action research study was to assist one US healthcare system that has an expansive footprint with the implementation of a needs assessment among its frontline healthcare workers. The leadership within this healthcare system wanted to obtain a deeper understanding of how the COVID-19 pandemic was impacting the personal and professional lives of its workers. Further, the organisation wanted to solicit employees' feedback about what they needed, understand the issues they were facing, and solicit their ideas to help the organisation know where to take action. Design/methodology/approach: This qualitative research employed 45 focus groups, referred to as virtual listening calls (LCs) in this organisation, which were held over a four-week period. A total of 241 nursing staff, representing healthcare facilities across the country, attended 26 of the LCs. A total of 19 LCs were held with 116 healthcare workers who are employed in other clinical roles (e.g. therapists) or administrative functions. Findings: Extending beyond the available research at the time, this study was initiated from within a US healthcare system and informed by the frontline healthcare employees who participated in the LCs, the findings of this study include the perspectives of both nursing and other healthcare workers, the latter of which have not received considerable attention. The findings underscore that the COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on the personal and professional lives of all of these healthcare workers and has exacted an emotional toll as noted in other studies. However, this study also highlights the importance of listening to employees' concerns, but more importantly, their recommendations for improving their experiences. Notably, the organisation is in the midst of making changes to address these frontline workers' needs. Originality/value: The study, inclusive of nursing and other healthcare staff, demonstrates how an organisation can adapt to a crisis by listening and learning from its frontline employees. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Listening and learning from the COVID-19 frontline in one US healthcare system

Purpose>The on-going COVID-19 pandemic has drastically impacted healthcare systems worldwide. Understanding the perspectives and insights of frontline healthcare workers caring for and interacting with patients with COVID-19 represents a timely, topical, and important area of research. The purpose of this qualitative action research study was to assist one US healthcare system that has an expansive footprint with the implementation of a needs assessment among its frontline healthcare workers. The leadership within this healthcare system wanted to obtain a deeper understanding of how the COVID-19 pandemic was impacting the personal and professional lives of its workers. Further, the organisation wanted to solicit employees’ feedback about what they needed, understand the issues they were facing, and solicit their ideas to help the organisation know where to take action.Design/methodology/approach>This qualitative research employed 45 focus groups, referred to as virtual listening calls (LCs) in this organisation, which were held over a four-week period. A total of 241 nursing staff, representing healthcare facilities across the country, attended 26 of the LCs. A total of 19 LCs were held with 116 healthcare workers who are employed in other clinical roles (e.g. therapists) or administrative functions.Findings>Extending beyond the available research at the time, this study was initiated from within a US healthcare system and informed by the frontline healthcare employees who participated in the LCs, the findings of this study include the perspectives of both nursing and other healthcare workers, the latter of which have not received considerable attention. The findings underscore that the COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on the personal and professional lives of all of these healthcare workers and has exacted an emotional toll as noted in other studies. However, this study also highlights the importance of listening to employees’ concerns, but more importantly, their recommendations for improving their experiences. Notably, the organisation is in the midst of making changes to address these frontline workers’ needs.Originality/value>The study, inclusive of nursing and other healthcare staff, demonstrates how an organisation can adapt to a crisis by listening and learning from its frontline employees.

Responding to racial injustice by listening and learning from employees

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine a unique application of mega-events theory in a US health-care organization. The organization hosted 50 virtual listening calls (LCs) in the summer of 2020 to understand and to hear their employees’ voices regarding their emotions about issues of racial injustice and to solicit their ideas for creating a more inclusive workplace.Design/methodology/approachThis study used an illustrative, descriptive qualitative design. Using Saldaña’s (2015) structural coding approach, data from 388 employees who voluntarily participated in 50 virtual LCs were analyzed.FindingsA total of eight themes with respective subthemes emerged regarding employees’ range of emotions and six themes emerged regarding employees’ specific suggestions for creating a more diverse and inclusive organization. This research suggests that hosting these open, virtual LCs enabled a space for employees to authentically voice their perspectives, learn from each other and afforded a powerful learning opportunity for organizational leaders to inform their diversity and inclusion practices.Originality/valueThis study represents a unique application of mega-events theory, focuses on pivotal events in the summer of 2020 that have been nationally and globally impactful and demonstrates the power of listening and learning to inform taking action in a health-care organization already constrained with the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.