ABSTRACT
Older people in nursing homes are at a high risk of being infected by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). They also experienced nursing home lockdowns that harm their psychological wellbeing. Better support for this vulnerable population requires understanding their perceptions of challenges and coping strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic. A qualitative descriptive study was conducted using semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis approach was used to analyze the data. Participants were recruited from six nursing homes in three cities in Hunan Province, China. Fourteen nursing home residents participated in the study. Four themes were identified from interviews and described as: mental stress and coping strategies, self-regulation to respond to lockdown, the lack of social connection and coping strategies, and the need for medical care services and coping strategies. This study revealed that nursing home residents perceived stress during the nursing home lockdown, but they reported initiating activities to maintain health and connections with their families and peers. Resilience improvement interventions are necessary to enable residents' autonomy and develop their resilience in coping with difficulties and hardship during crises. The findings also indicate that a supportive environment with interactions from families, peers, and staffs played a key role in enabling residents' positive health and wellbeing during the lockdown.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Pandemics , Humans , Aged , COVID-19/epidemiology , Communicable Disease Control , Nursing Homes , Qualitative Research , Adaptation, PsychologicalABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: First-line nursing staff are responsible for protecting residents, the most vulnerable population, from COVID-19 infections. They are at a high risk of being infected with COVID-19 and experience high levels of psychological distress. AIMS: To explore the challenges and coping strategies perceived by nursing staff during the COVID-19 pandemic in China. METHODS: In April,2020, we conducted a qualitative study using in-depth semi-structured interviews with nursing staff. Participants were selected from seven nursing homes in three cities in Hunan Province, China. RESULTS: A total of 21 nursing staff participated in the study, including seven nurse managers, seven registered nurses and seven nursing assistants. Three main themes were identified. Different groups encountered different sources of stress and adopted various coping strategies to fulfil their responsibilities. CONCLUSIONS: Nursing home staff were underprepared for dealing with COVID-19-related challenges. Educational programs to improve the ability to deal with COVID-19 prevention and control are needed.
Subject(s)
Adaptation, Psychological , Burnout, Professional/psychology , COVID-19/nursing , COVID-19/psychology , Nursing Homes/organization & administration , Nursing Staff/psychology , Stress, Psychological , COVID-19/epidemiology , China , Female , Humans , Interviews as Topic , Pandemics , Perception , Qualitative Research , SARS-CoV-2ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has global impact, Wuhan in Hubei province is a high-risk area. And the older people in nursing homes are the most susceptible group to COVID-19. The aim of this study was to describe the practice and experience of the first-line medical team, to provide insights of coping with COVID-19 in China. METHOD: This qualitative study used a descriptive phenomenological design to describe the experience of medical staff supported the nursing homes in Wuhan fighting against COVID-19. Unstructured interviews via online video were conducted with seven medical staffs who supported the nursing homes in Wuhan. Data were analyzed using content analysis in five main themes: for nursing homes, we interviewed the difficulties faced at the most difficult time, services for the older people, and prevention and management strategies, for the medical staff, the psychological experience were interviewed, and the implications for public health emergencies were also reported. CONCLUSIONS: It is imperative that effective preventive and response measures be implemented to face the outbreak of COVID-19 and meet the care needs of older people in the context of COVID-19. IMPLICATIONS: Findings will inform managers of some reasonable instructional strategies for implementing effective infection management. Nursing homes need to provide targeted services to help alleviating their bad psychology for residents.