ABSTRACT
Die COVID-19-Pandemie stellt das Pflegepersonal vor enorme Herausforderungen. Welche speziellen Herausforderungen, Belastungen, aber auch Forderungen sich durch die Pandemie für Pflegepersonen ergeben, wurde in einem Survey erhoben. Kritik am System wurde am häufigsten genannt, gefolgt von der Forderung nach mehr Wertschätzung und finanzieller Entschädigung.
ABSTRACT
Background Most of the limited number of studies that have been carried out on COVID-19 in nursing homes have not included primarily nursing staff. Nevertheless, knowledge about staff experiences will help to provide recommendations for the future. Aim The aim of this study was to describe stress experienced and interventions performed by nursing staff and to identify factors that are associated to the perceived stress among Austrian nursing home staff during the first and the second waves of COVID-19. Methods A secondary data analysis of two cross-sectional surveys performed in 2020 and 2021 among nursing home staff was performed. We did descriptive analysis as well as univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. Results A total of 449 nurses participated in the first survey and 300 in the second survey. 12.7% experienced high stress levels in the first wave, while 26.0% experienced high stress levels in the second wave (p < 0.001). The analysis showed that nursing staff in the second wave had a 2.195-fold higher relative chance of experiencing a high stress level compared to nursing staff in the first wave (p < 0.001). Caring for COVID-19 residents (odds ratio [OR] 1.827;p = 0.007) and being female (OR 1.992;p = 0.018) also significantly increased the relative chance of experiencing a high stress level. Some protective interventions, such as the use of FFP masks, increased between the two waves, while others decreased, such as the practice of airing the residents' rooms. Conclusion Austrian nursing staff in nursing homes experienced more stress during the second wave, illustrating the heavy burden of the long pandemic on staff. Nursing management should plan appropriate supportive interventions such as psychological help, stress relief measures and financial incentives for nursing staff, especially for the identified high-risk groups. Supplementary Information The online version of this article (10.1007/s16024-022-00395-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
ABSTRACT
Background: Most of the limited number of studies that have been carried out on COVID-19 in nursing homes have not included primarily nursing staff. Nevertheless, knowledge about staff experiences will help to provide recommendations for the future. Aim: The aim of this study was to describe stress experienced and interventions performed by nursing staff and to identify factors that are associated to the perceived stress among Austrian nursing home staff during the first and the second waves of COVID-19. Methods: A secondary data analysis of two cross-sectional surveys performed in 2020 and 2021 among nursing home staff was performed. We did descriptive analysis as well as univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. Results: A total of 449 nurses participated in the first survey and 300 in the second survey. 12.7% experienced high stress levels in the first wave, while 26.0% experienced high stress levels in the second wave (pâ¯< 0.001). The analysis showed that nursing staff in the second wave had a 2.195-fold higher relative chance of experiencing a high stress level compared to nursing staff in the first wave (pâ¯< 0.001). Caring for COVID-19 residents (odds ratio [OR] 1.827; pâ¯= 0.007) and being female (OR 1.992; pâ¯= 0.018) also significantly increased the relative chance of experiencing a high stress level. Some protective interventions, such as the use of FFP masks, increased between the two waves, while others decreased, such as the practice of airing the residents' rooms. Conclusion: Austrian nursing staff in nursing homes experienced more stress during the second wave, illustrating the heavy burden of the long pandemic on staff. Nursing management should plan appropriate supportive interventions such as psychological help, stress relief measures and financial incentives for nursing staff, especially for the identified high-risk groups. Supplementary Information: The online version of this article (10.1007/s16024-022-00395-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Nursing quality is one of today's priorities in health care. The COVID-19 pandemic had posed particular challenges for nursing practice. There is currently only limited information available about nursing care in health care institutions during the COVID-19 pandemic. AIM: Therefore the aim of this study was to describe the quality of nursing care during the COVID-19 pandemic with respect to the available structural circumstances (structure), the applied interventions (process) and the perceived stress of nursing staff (outcome). METHOD: A cross-sectional study using an electronic questionnaire was carried out in different health care institutions. The questionnaire includes general questions as well as questions on structure, process and outcome indicators. RESULTS: 2605 nurses participated in this online survey. The study showed that nurses were often provided with guidelines and trainings on protective measures. About two thirds of the nurses reported a sufficient availability of face masks, yet half of the participants wore them longer than eight hours. The study also showed that nurses often applied personal (e.g. use of face masks) and general protective measures (e.g. hand sanitation). Around two thirds of the nurses experienced moderate to high levels of stress. CONCLUSION: Health care institutions need to be equipped with sufficient and adequate protective materials in order to be prepared for a second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic or other pandemics. Nurses who are working in times posing extraordinary challenges and stress need to be provided with psychosocial support programmes. These measures are indespensable for ensuring high quality nursing care even under extraordinary circumstances.
ABSTRACT
Due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) nursing practice is facing enormous challenges. Nevertheless, nursing science was hardly actively represented as a mouthpiece for the practice in the public discussions on the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, the question arises which projects with a focus on nursing and COVID-19 have been carried out at Austrian universities. Overall, six projects were identified using the snowball method. Of the studies one showed that an increased wearing time of masks is associated with an increased stress level for nursing personnel. An additional study result showed that almost 50% of lay people used masks incorrectly. Individual experiences, interventions undertaken and solution approaches from the perspective of the nursing staff with respect to ethical challenges in nursing homes were collected in a further project. This and other projects show that nursing science, with its knowledge and as a voice for nursing practice, has taken the initiative and contributes to the COVID-19 discourse. Additionally, the findings of the projects can be used as a basis for making future political decisions.