ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: The study documents the lived experience of nurses coping with the double burden of external demands and internal stressors while providing care during the COVID-19 pandemic in India. METHODS: This qualitative study interviewed 18 female nurses who worked in the COVID wards of a major hospital in India. The one-on-one telephonic interviews were conducted with respondents based on three broad open-ended questions. Thematic analysis was conducted. RESULTS: Three themes were identified: (i) external demands such as availability, utilization, and management of resources; (ii) internal psychological stressors, such as emotional exhaustion, moral anguish, and social isolation; and (iii) promotive factors such as the roles of the state and society, and of patients and attendants CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that despite limited resources and facilities, nurses ploughed through the pandemic with their resilience and the state's and society's promotive factors. To improve health care delivery in this crisis, the role of the state and healthcare system has become important to prevent the workforce from crumbling. The sustained attention of the state and society is required to reinstate motivation among nurses by raising the collective value of their contribution and capability.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: The paper aims to assess the pattern of reporting complaints at the Family Counseling Centre (FCC), the nature and form of domestic violence (DV) during the lockdown, and the challenges addressed by the FCC, located in Alwar, India. Methods: The methodology is considered an event study methodology. The study was conducted using the records available with the FCC. Using monthly time series data for 33 months (from April 2019 to December 2021), the time series analysis was done to bring out the pattern of reporting, nature and form of DV. Interviews were conducted with the counselors to document the challenges faced by them. Results: The analysis shows that the reported DV-cases decreased by 23 percent during the lockdown. Challenges faced during the lockdown by the FCC in the existing policy guideline was that the lockdown disrupted the physical access of the routine complaint system. The COVID-19 lockdown and restrictions on mobility explain why only a portion of the women reach the center. The average decrease in reporting masked significant information about altered patterns and low reporting does not translate to a decline in violence at home. Conclusions: The average change in DV during lockdown can be very misleading when thinking about a reframing policy response in India. Therefore, these findings should not be restricted to lockdown but are viewed broadly in the explanation that can be extended in policy to include the role of chronic stressors in accentuating violence. Policy Implications: The study has significant implications for realigning and redesigning institutional strategies to overcome cultural barriers for seamless access to the FCC. This would enable a transition of counseling from event-based rescue to building resilience by adopting a lifelong learning and well-being approach.
ABSTRACT
Introduction The paper aims to assess the pattern of reporting complaints at the Family Counseling Centre (FCC), the nature and form of domestic violence (DV) during the lockdown, and the challenges addressed by the FCC, located in Alwar, India. Methods The methodology is considered an event study methodology. The study was conducted using the records available with the FCC. Using monthly time series data for 33 months (from April 2019 to December 2021), the time series analysis was done to bring out the pattern of reporting, nature and form of DV. Interviews were conducted with the counselors to document the challenges faced by them. Results The analysis shows that the reported DV-cases decreased by 23 percent during the lockdown. Challenges faced during the lockdown by the FCC in the existing policy guideline was that the lockdown disrupted the physical access of the routine complaint system. The COVID-19 lockdown and restrictions on mobility explain why only a portion of the women reach the center. The average decrease in reporting masked significant information about altered patterns and low reporting does not translate to a decline in violence at home. Conclusions The average change in DV during lockdown can be very misleading when thinking about a reframing policy response in India. Therefore, these findings should not be restricted to lockdown but are viewed broadly in the explanation that can be extended in policy to include the role of chronic stressors in accentuating violence. Policy Implications The study has significant implications for realigning and redesigning institutional strategies to overcome cultural barriers for seamless access to the FCC. This would enable a transition of counseling from event-based rescue to building resilience by adopting a lifelong learning and well-being approach.