When "Time Is Not Your Own": Experiences of Mothering Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic

As COVID-19 reached pandemic levels in March 2020, schools shifted to remote learning. Student parents in higher education had to adapt to their own remote learning and assume responsibility for childcare and their children's education. Few studies have explored the impact of COVID-19 on mothers who are also full-time students. This study utilized a phenomenological approach to understand the lived experiences of mothering students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Student mothers were recruited from a large, public, Hispanic-serving university in a Southern state. We conducted interviews with 15 student mothers who had at least one child under the age of 18 during the first six months of the pandemic. Three main themes emerged from the analyses: (1) successfully meeting educational requirements;(2) dealing with the mental health impact of the pandemic;and (3) changing the institutional structure. The first theme captured strategies mothering students implemented to ensure their own or their children's educational goals were met. The second theme encompassed how mothers handled the stress caused by the pandemic. The third theme explored ways that mothers resisted gendered expectations and norms around care. Implications for policy and social work practice include changing institutional structures to enhance support for mothering students.

SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) Vaccine Intentions in Kentucky

Background: At the time of our writing, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause significant disruption to daily lives. In Kentucky, the burdens from this disease are higher, and vaccination rates for COVID-19 are lower, in comparison to the U.S. as a whole. Understanding vaccine intentions across key subpopulations is critical to increasing vaccination rates. Purpose: This study explores COVID-19 vaccine intentions in Kentucky across demographic subpopulations and also investigates the influences on vaccine intention of attitudes and beliefs about COVID-19. Methods: A population-based survey of 1,459 Kentucky adults was conducted between January 26 and March 20, 2021, with over-sampling of black/African American and Latino/a residents, using online and telephonic modalities. Descriptive statistics characterize the sample and overall vaccine intentions and beliefs. Multivariable linear regression models probed relationships between demographics and vaccination intentions, as well as relationships between vaccination beliefs and vaccination intention. Results: Of the 1,299 unvaccinated respondents, 53% reported intent to get vaccinated, 16% had not decided, and 31% felt they would not get vaccinated. Lower vaccination intention was independently associated with age, lower educational attainment, black/African American race, lower income, Republican political affiliation, rural residence, and several beliefs: low vaccine safety, low vaccine efficacy, the rapidity of vaccine development, and mistrust of vaccine producers. Implications: Increasing COVID-19 vaccination rates will help end this pandemic. Findings from this study can be used to tailor information campaigns aimed at helping individuals make informed decisions about COVID-19 vaccination.

When “Time Is Not Your Own”: Experiences of Mothering Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic

As COVID-19 reached pandemic levels in March 2020, schools shifted to remote learning. Student parents in higher education had to adapt to their own remote learning and assume responsibility for childcare and their children?s education. Few studies have explored the impact of COVID-19 on mothers who are also full-time students. This study utilized a phenomenological approach to understand the lived experiences of mothering students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Student mothers were recruited from a large, public, Hispanic-serving university in a Southern state. We conducted interviews with 15 student mothers who had at least one child under the age of 18 during the first six months of the pandemic. Three main themes emerged from the analyses: (1) successfully meeting educational requirements;(2) dealing with the mental health impact of the pandemic;and (3) changing the institutional structure. The first theme captured strategies mothering students implemented to ensure their own or their children?s educational goals were met. The second theme encompassed how mothers handled the stress caused by the pandemic. The third theme explored ways that mothers resisted gendered expectations and norms around care. Implications for policy and social work practice include changing institutional structures to enhance support for mothering students.

Sleep of Healthcare Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic and the Role of Atypical Work Schedules: A Scoping Review.

The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the well-being of healthcare workers (HCWs). HCWs are highly exposed to shift work and their work schedules have been subject to increasing unpredictability since the start of the pandemic. This review aims to: (1) map the studies providing information about factors associated with sleep characteristics in HCWs working in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic during the first and second waves and (2) examine the state of the evidence base in terms of the availability of information on the influence of atypical work schedules. A literature search was performed in PubMed. Studies containing information about factors (demographic; psychological; occupational; COVID-19-specific; work schedule; lifestyle; medical; or other) associated with various sleep characteristics among HCWs working in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic were included. Particular attention was paid to the availability of information on the role of atypical work schedules on HCW sleep. Fifty-seven articles met the inclusion criteria. Most studies were reports of quantitative cross-sectional surveys using self-report measures. Associations between female sex, frontline HCW status, psychological factors, and poorer sleep were observed. Six studies included a measure of shift work in their analyses, 5 of which reported an association between shift work status and sleep. A wide range of factors were investigated, with female sex, frontline HCW status, and psychological factors repeatedly demonstrating associations with poorer sleep. Sleep was predominantly measured in terms of self-reported sleep quality or insomnia symptoms. Few studies investigated the influence of atypical work schedules on HCW sleep in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Research on this topic is lacking in terms of reliable and consistent measurements of sleep outcomes, longitudinal data, and knowledge about the influence of covariates such atypical work schedules, comorbidity, and medical history on HCW sleep.

Pharmacists Are Not Mid-Level Providers

Pharmacists should not be classified as "mid-level" providers. This classification implies that there are different levels or a hierarchy of providers when in fact each health care provider brings unique and essential knowledge and contributions to the health care team and to the care of patients. Pharmacists are no exception. Timely issues germane to pharmacists, including dependent and independent practice, provider status, and professional identity, contribute to the rationale that pharmacists, just like all other health care providers, should be classified by their professional identity. While use of the term mid-level provider to identify various practitioners may not seem consequential, in today's health care environment, words do matter when it comes to attributing value, and the contributions of all health care providers should be recognized as equally important to the patient care team.

Effectiveness and sustainability of the WHO multimodal hand hygiene improvement strategy in the university hospital Bouaké, Republic of Côte D'ivoire in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction: Healthcare worker adherence to proper Hand Hygiene (HH) practices and access to alcohol-based hand-rub (ABHR) remains limited in many low-resource settings. An effective HH improvement strategy is a critical element of infection prevention and control (IPC) programmes, as seen in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The project PASQUALE aimed to establish the WHO multimodal HH strategy at the University Hospital Bouaké, Côte d'Ivoire. Objectives: The project PASQUALE aimed to establish the WHO multimodal HH strategy at the University Hospital Bouaké, Côte d'Ivoire. Methods: The improvement of HH knowledge and HH compliance was assessed in a before-and-after intervention study. The intervention consisted of a HH training for staff of all departments regardless of their participation in the initial assessment and the introduction of local production of ABHR. Assessment of HH knowledge and compliance was performed 12 months before (06/2018), right after the intervention (10/2019) and at a ten months interval (08/2020), whereby knowledge was assessed through a self-administered questionnaire and HH compliance through direct observations. Results: Baseline knowledge score was 14/25, increased significantly to 17/25 upon the first and decreased to 13/25 in the second assessment. HH compliance showed a significant increase from 12.7% to 36.8% (p < 0.001) in first and remained at 36.4% in second follow-up. An average of 74.4L ABHR per month were produced from 07/2019 until 03/2020, when the first COVID-19 infection was confirmed in Côte d'Ivoire, and 138L per month from 04/2020 onwards. Monthly consumption of ABHR in the same time increased from 76 to 125L. Conclusion: The implementation of the WHO HH improvement strategy led to sustained improvements in HH compliance without relying on costly interventions. This study emphasized that the implementation of the strategy is feasible and has effectively contributed to the IPC response during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Young African Americans' Communication with Family Members About COVID-19: Impact on Vaccination Intention and Implications for Health Communication Interventions.

Communication with family members about the COVID-19 vaccine may play an important role in vaccination decisions, especially among young people. This study examined the association between family communication about the COVID-19 vaccine and vaccination intention. Participants were Black/African Americans aged 18-30 years (N = 312) recruited through an online survey in June 2020. We assessed family communication, vaccine attitudes, perceived norms, outcome expectancies, and vaccination intention. More than half (62%) of the participants had talked to family members about the vaccine. Females were more likely than males to have engaged in family communication (63% vs. 59%) (p. > .05). Family communication, injunctive norms, and descriptive norms were significantly (p. < .01) associated with vaccination intention. Family communication was the strongest predictor of intention.Promoting discussions about vaccinations between young Black adults and their families may increase the likelihood of adopting positive vaccination beliefs and influencing vaccine decision-making.

The Public’s Perceptions of Government Officials’ Communication in the Wake of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Early news coverage in the US about the COVID-19 pandemic focused on information released from local, state and federal government officials. With an emphasis on US government at these levels, this study examined whether the public?s credibility perceptions and trust in government, along with message exposure, influenced their adherence to information from the government about (a) stay-at-home orders, (b) social distancing and (c) COVID-19 testing. Source credibility theory and situational crisis communication theory provided the theoretical framework for this study. Through the survey data analysis, we investigated communication preferences in the wake of the pandemic and whether credibility perceptions differed according to the level of government. Survey findings revealed that message exposure influenced respondents? perceived credibility of and trust in government officials during and after the stay-at-home order. Finally, practical implications regarding recommended communication strategies based on the findings were discussed.

Use of ultraviolet-C in environmental sterilization in hospitals: A systematic review on efficacy and safety

Objectives: The study aimed to review the literature on the use of ultraviolet-C (UV-C) sterilization to assess its clinical efficacy in reducing risk and transmission of nosocomial infections as well as its associated health safety or hazards. Methods: Four main search engines were used to identify potential studies which included: (1) Google Scholar, (2) ScienceDirect, (3) PubMed, and (4) Cochrane. Studies in English and published from 2010 to 2020 were considered. Studies on efficacy were limited to those in unseeded hospital environments, examining environmental disinfection, and with true experimental, randomized controlled trial, or quasiexperimental study designs. No additional criterion was used for safety studies due to the scarcity of literature. In the end, a total of 17 studies were selected. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were followed. Risk of bias assessment and manual data extraction and tabulation were done. Results: Twelve eligible efficacy studies were identified together with five safety studies. It was found that UV-C irradiation had positive results when used as an adjunct for existing cleaning protocols. The germicidal effect of UV-C is potent against microorganisms including viruses, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and vancomycin-resistant enterococci. Safety study results showed dermal effects of UV-C exposure including DNA lesions, formation of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers in cells, and effects on the skin’s stratum corneum. Conclusion: It was found that UV-C can be utilized as an adjunct to terminal manual cleaning because of its efficacy as a germicidal agent. Further studies must still be done to exact a standard for safe exposure dose, especially for 222 nm germicidal lamps. Direct evidence is needed for any targeted implementation of UV-C during Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Journal of Health Sciences (Qassim University) is the property of Journal of Health Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)