ABSTRACT
Introduction: COVID-19 pandemic has again highlighted the crucial role of the frontline healthcare workers, including practitioners in critical care settings, in case management, disease surveillance, policy development, and clinical education and training. This study aims to explore Australian critical care nurses' knowledge, preparedness and experiences of managing SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19. Method(s): A cross-sectional study of Australian critical care nurses was conducted between June and September 2020. An anonymous online survey was sent out to the members of the Australian College of Critical Care Nurses (ACCCN) to collect data about their knowledge, preparedness and experiences during COVID-19 outbreak. Data were summarised and reported using descriptive statistics. Textual data were analysed using conventional content analysis technique. Result(s): A total of 138 critical care nurses participated in this study. Most respondents reported 'good' to 'very good' level of knowledge about COVID-19, and used a variety of sources to obtain up-to-date information about COVID-19. A majority (82.3%) believed they were 'moderately' or 'extremely' prepared for managing COVID-19 by the time they answered the survey, and 93.4% had received specific education, training or instruction about COVID-19. Most participants were involved in assessing (89.3%) and treating (92.4%) COVID-19 cases. Varying levels of concerns about contracting SARS-CoV-2 were expressed by respondents. The most significant challenges during the COVID-19 outbreak were lack of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) and fear of their shortage. Conclusion(s): These findings can be used in planning for successful outbreak management during the current COVID-19 pandemic and in future outbreaks of emerging infectious diseases.Copyright © 2021
ABSTRACT
Background and aim: The Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected the delivery of healthcare around the world. We assessed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on hospital presentations, reperfusion treatment and outcomes in a comprehensive stroke centre. Methods: In this observational study seven months of retrospective data from February 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic were compared to data collected for the same time frame in 2019. Results: There was a transient reduction in stroke presentation only at the beginning of the wave of COVID-19 community transmissions in Sydney. There were significantly more haemorrhagic strokes in the COVID- 19 period (n = 66, 15.4 % vs n = 95, 21.5 %, p = 0.02) and baseline stroke severity was higher (NIHSS median 3 vs 4, p = 0.049). Similar proportions of ischaemic stroke patients received reperfusion therapy in the two time periods (IV thrombolysis [n = 51, 17.3% vs n = 52, 17.9%, p = 0.838];and ECR [n = 38, 12.9% vs n = 46, 15.9%, p = 0.30]). The time from presentation to stroke bed admission was significantly shorter during the COVID-19 period (p = 0.031). Three-month follow-up Modified Rankin Score was 2 (median) in both periods (P = 0.92). Conclusion: There was no change in stroke presentations overall during the 2020 COVID 19 pandemic time period with the exception of the first phase of the pandemic. Baseline stroke severity scores were higher. There was no difference in the degree of disability at three-month follow-up.