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INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Urologists are experiencing burnout at an alarming rate. With this, the American urologic Association (AUA) has continued to collect various pertinent workforce metrics in the annual census. Here the AUA Workforce Workgroup compares the latest data collected in the census related to burnout, comparing these metrics over time. METHOD(S): The AUA Workforce Workgroup examined the annual census results since 2016. The AUA sends out an annual census to all practicing urologists. The census works to collect demographic and geographic data, in addition to collecting answers to other pertinent questions from practicing urologists. Particular to this study, burnout related data was examined from the past 5 years. Examined metrics included burnout assess across age and gender, effect of COVID on burnout, work-personal life conflict across demographic groups. RESULT(S): In 2021, 36.7% of urologists report burnout compared to 36.2% in 2016. When assessing by gender, burnout in men decreased from 36.3% to 35.2%, but increased in women from 35.3% to 49.2%. When examined by age, the largest increases in burnout were seen in the<45 years old group, increasing from 37.9% to 44.8%, followed by 45-54 years old, 43.4% to 44.6%. Those over age 55 either had a decrease or stable burnout. When asked about the effect of COVID-19 on burnout, 54% of urologists didn't feel COVID-19 impacted burnout. When considering work-life conflicts, 25.0% of men and 4.6% of women reported no conflict between work and personal responsibilities, while 25.7% of men and 44.7% of women resolved conflicts in favor of work or were unable to resolve them. Respondents were then asked how satisfied they were with work-life balance, where 22.5% of men, and 37.1% of women responded dissatisfied. Similarly, 33.6% of males reported their work schedule does not leave enough time for personal/family life, compared to 57.5% of females. CONCLUSION(S): Overall, urologists have higher burnout now when compared to 2016. The gender discrepancy has vastly widened with women experiencing burnout at an increased rate compared to 2016, while burnout in men decreased. Burnout has increased the most in younger urologists, with the highest increase seen in those<45 years old. Further action is needed to substantiate the causes of burnout. (Figure Presented).
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Background Since March 2020, Chile has been affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which has caused disruptions throughout the world, greatly impacting health services and healthcare workers. Objective To describe the demographic characteristics related to the COVID-19 pandemic in orthopedic surgeons and orthopedic surgery residents in Chile. Methods We conducted an on-line survey requesting data on demographics, work, exposure to and infection by COVID-19, symptoms, and protection practices. Results A total of 567 surgeons answered the survey;37 (6.4%) had had COVID-19, without gender differences. Therewas a higher rate of infectionamong residents, 9 from73 (12.3%), than among surgeons, 28 from 494 (5.7%), as well as higher rates of infection among those working more than 60 hours (p<0.05). Among those infected, 31 (83.8%) were from the Metropolitan Region (MR), where the rate of infection was significantly higher compared with other regions (p< 0.05). Only 8 (21.6%) of those infected had medical history. Hospitalization was required by 3 (5.4%), 1 of them in the Intensive care Unit (ICU), and the remaining were handled at home. The most frequent location of infection was the workplace, with the common areas being the main suspected sites, followed by outpatient clinics and orthopedic surgery wards. In total, 40.5% (15) of the sample reported having infected other individuals. There was also an impact in the surgeon s income: 14.8% (84) reported a decrease lower than 20%, and 45% (256), a decrease higher than 50%. This decrease was higher among surgeons than among residents, and higher among those from the MR compared to other regions (p< 0.05). Conclusion Even though orthopedic surgery practice has been reduced by the pandemic, orthopedic surgeons have been exposed to the risk of infection by COVID-19. The workplace seems to be the site that poses the greatest risk, especially the common areas.Copyright © 2022 Georg Thieme Verlag. All rights reserved.
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Background: An unprecedented and unexpected COVID-19 pandemic resulted appalled lock-downs limiting movement of the entire population of the country and also across the globe. Downtime due to COVID-19 pandemic, led to adjournment of schools, colleges, different institutions, industries and business. This shutdown of work affected physical, mental and behavioral health of mankind from different age groups of different sectors. Methods- In this cross-sectional study, prevalidated questionnaire using the quick mode of communications like Whatsapp and emails through Google form was used. It was among the quick and inexpensive method to collect data from a wide cross-section of the general public. After ethical committee approval, link was distributed among health care trainee, employees and health care workers (HCWs) of various educational institutes and hospitals. Participants read informed consent for voluntary participation in the survey, which was administered in two parts: The first part asked participants basic demographic characteristics including age, gender, place of residence and in second part questions were asked to determine participation in specific behaviors related to their physical, mental and behavioral health. Result(s): Physical-Significant change in exercise habits was found in 45.3% participants who exercised daily and 32.7% participants did 2 to 3times exercise in a week but 22% participants did not follow any exercise routine. Mental-This study reveals profound impact of lockdown on mental fitness variables as well. Lockdown induced lack of regular work schedules changed sleep habits of 45.8% participants. Behavioral-As precautionary measure 76% of the participants washed their hands mostly 5-7times throughout the day and 84.2% among them followed 6-steps of hand hygiene. 95.5% of participants used mask compulsorily. Conclusion(s): This survey is an attempt to study knowledge and behaviors of people in face of current pandemic where more than 1.3 billion people are inside their homes since lockdown. Although lockdown is effective measure to reduce the spread of COVID-19 there are reasons to be concerned. Prolonged home confinement and shutdown of work affects physical, mental and behavioral health of people. People feel socially isolated due to lockdown however social media platforms offer an opportunity to ameliorate social isolation. The effect on lockdown on physical, mental and behavioral routine habits can give inside of how people are living under impact of lockdown and the findings can reveals the impact of these never seen restrictions on life of people.Copyright © 2022 Ubiquity Press. All rights reserved.
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The COVID-19 pandemic has driven organizations to implement various flexible work arrangements. Due to a lack of longitudinal studies, there is currently no consensus in specialized literature regarding the consequences of flexible work arrangements on employee mental health, as well any long term potential impacts. Using the Job Demand-Resource Model, this study documents consequences of the implementation of two types of flexible work arrangement: work schedule flexibility and teleworking on employee mental health over time, and the mediating role played by work overload during the accelerated implementation of flexible work arrangements in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a longitudinal design and probabilistic sampling, 209 workers participated in this study, twice answering a flexible work arrangement and mental health questionnaire during the pandemic. Findings of this moderated-mediation suggest that work schedule flexibility generates positive effects on mental health over time due to decreased work overload, but only for employees not working from home. These results offer theoretical and practical implications applicable to organizations considering implementation of flexible work arrangements, particularly with regard to how these flexible practices could support a balance between demand and resources, their impact on work overload, and employee mental health over time.
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The pandemic has changed our work schedule and everyday routine. As a researcher, I found this time to be challenging both professionally and personally. This chapter includes some of those challenges and highlights how I overcame them. It took me time to find solutions to new complexities that emerged in my work life due to the pandemic. After almost two years in the pandemic I am able to look back and identify how the institution supported us and how I self-motivated and pushed myself to keep going and work towards my goals. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)
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The root causes of health care worker strain and depression include excessive job demands, extended work schedules, little decision-making opportunity, assault, bullying, and fear of injury. Potential links between working conditions and opioid overuse have also been discussed, beginning with psychological job strain or with physical pain leading to medication use. Promising solutions have been identified and many would be cost-effective, as enhanced working conditions could improve workers' mental health, job satisfaction, retention, and patient outcomes. Considering the number of health care workers leaving work during the global COVID-19 pandemic, it is urgent to address preventable root causes. In 2021, the US Congress called for educating health workers and first responders on the primary prevention of mental health conditions and substance use disorders. The CDC issued a Request for Information; this submission summarized research from CPH-NEW, a NIOSH Center of Excellence in Total Worker Health®, supplemented by a selective literature review.
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COVID-19 , Occupational Stress , United States , Humans , Mental Health , Pandemics/prevention & control , National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, U.S. , COVID-19/prevention & control , Occupational Stress/prevention & controlABSTRACT
Background: There is a relative paucity of data on the telehealth experience of health care providers. The present study helps to address this gap by examining the telehealth experiences of mental health providers. Methods: An IRB-approved anonymous survey (31 questions) was circulated in the state of Maryland at the Kennedy Krieger Institute, the Division of Child Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University and at the University of Maryland, several community mental health practices, and professional organizations. Mental health professionals (physicians, psychologists, licensed social workers, nursing providers), and trainees (medical residents, post-doctoral fellows, and social work trainees) were eligible to participate in the survey. The survey focused on three key domains: patient care, work-life balance, and personal life. 175 providers participated in this survey Results: 75% of the respondents were female. 30% of respondents had been in practice for more than 20 years. 10% were trainees. The majority of respondents reported an overall positive impact of telehealth on their clinical practice. The comfort level with telehealth was high across the board. The impact on work-life balance and personal lives of practitioners was mixed with the highest negative impact (90%)reported by early-career practitioners. The majority of respondents reported a negative impact on education of trainees. Discussion: Several mental health disciplines were represented in the survey. Providers were comfortable with using technology and found benefits for patient care. Managing individual work schedules and maintaining the therapeutic relationship with patients seemed to be the areas of concern, especially for early-career providers. This may be due to relatively less control over their schedules and the presence of other competing responsibilities. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the establishment of telehealth services. The overall impact seems to be positive especially in the mental health field. In our attempt to understand the impact of this transition on the mental health providers, we found that there are specific trends for the degree of impact based on the duration of practice and field of practice of the providers. This information may help inform future clinical practices and policies, as telehealth will likely continue to be an integral part of medical care beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. References: 1. -19 and tele Health, education and research adaptations Wijesooriya NR, Mishra V, Brand PLP, Rubin BK. COVID-19 and telehealth, education, and research adaptations. Paediatr Respir Rev. 2020;35:38-42. doi:10.1016/j.prrv.2020.06.009 2. Donelan K, Barreto EA, Sossong S, Michael C, Estrada JJ, Cohen AB, Wozniak J, Schwamm LH. Patient and clinician experiences with telehealth for patient follow-up care. Am J Manag Care. 2019 Jan;25(1):40-44. PMID: 30667610.
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Introduction: Sleep disturbances are frequently reported in patients infected by Covid-19, but the role of sleep-wake behaviors as a risk factor to contract Covid-19 has up to now poorly been studied. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between usual sleep-wake behaviors and the risk of Covid-19 infection in a population of subjects suspect of contact or infection with SARS-CoV-2. Methods: Cross-sectionnal monocentric study set during a nonconfined period in winter 2021. Recruitment took place in a Covid-19 ambulatory screening platform. Subjects between 18 and 45 years old were included whether they were symptomatic or not, healthcare workers or not, in contact with a Covid-19 case or not. They were asked about their usual sleep-wake behaviors. Usual sleep duration and sleep timing were explored during workdays and free days. Circadian misalignment was defined as at least 2 hours shift of circadian alignment (defined as the difference between mid-sleep during workdays and mid-sleep during free days, mid sleep as the middle between bedtime and getting up time). Results: One thousand eighteen subjects were included in our study (acceptance rate: 10.8%, 39% of men, mean age of 28± 8). Habitual mean sleep duration was equivalent in both groups (7h47 vs 7h49, p=0.733). Circadian misalignment greater than 2 hours concerned 33% of subjects in the Covid-19 group versus 20% of the control group (p=0.026). After adjustment on age, gender, BMI and work schedules, subjects presenting a circadian misalignment superior to 2 hours had 2.07 more chances to be tested positive than subjects which respected on identical sleep-wake timing between workdays and free days (OR=2.07, 95%CI= [1.12-3.80], p=0.024). Conclusion: Altered sleep not only is present in subjects infected by Covid-19 but could be responsible of a higher change to be infected. Chronobiological impact on immune system and higher chances to be exposed to social contacts could explain our findings which deserve to be confirmed through a future large cohort study. Ultimately regular sleep-wake pattern could constitute a privileged prevention target to fight Covid-19 infection.
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Background and importance Patients with immune-mediated diseases (IMIDs) frequently need therapies from the hospital pharmacy. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a home delivery service (HDS) with telepharmacy follow-up was started to avoid unnecessary visits to hospital. Aim and objectives To describe the population that accepted the HDS and evaluate their satisfaction about it. Material and methods Descriptive retrospective observational study in a cohort of patients with IMIDs who had received HDS from February to August 2021. Data collected were age, sex, pathology, distance to hospital, number of shipments and satisfaction survey score. Surveys were made by telephone and scored the Pharmacy Service, the transport company and global satisfaction by means of seven questions (each with scores ranging from 1 to 5). Results 130 patients received HDS (7.23% of IMIDs outpatients), 116 of them were contacted for the survey. 81.9% were female. Median age was 74 (IQR 65.50-80.00) years. Pathologies distribution: 63 (54.31%) rheumatoid arthritis;18 (15.52%) spondyloarthropathies;14 (12.07%) multiple sclerosis;7 (6.03%) inflammatory bowel disease;5 (4.31%) psoriasis;5 (4.31%) connective tissue diseases and 4 (3.45%) other IMIDs (hydradenitis or vasculitis). 22.41% patients lived outside of the city centre where the hospital is located. Patients received an average of 2.17 (SD 1.12) shipments during these months. 84.48% patients were offered HDS from the hospital pharmacy;15.52% asked for the service themselves. Main reason chosen by patients to accepted HDS was the COVID-19 pandemic situation or self-insolation due to contact or infection (75.86%), followed by mobility difficulties (31.90%), distance to hospital (6.90%) and work schedule (0.86%). Average survey score for Pharmacy Service: 4.93 (SD 0.29) about pharmacist follow-up, 5.00 (SD 0) about correct medication and 4.98 (SD 0.13) about shipping material. In relation to the transport company, the scores were 5.00 (SD 0) about carrier treatment, 4.86 (SD 0.58) about schedule compliance and 5.00 (SD 0) about proper packaging conditions. Average score for global satisfaction was 4.99 (SD 0.10). Conclusion and relevance The pandemic situation increased HDS necessity (75.86% of patients requested it) but its continuity is justified specially due to mobility difficulties (31.90%) in older or incapacitated people, a frequent situation in IMIDs outpatients. Home delivery is a service that is highly valued by patients. Even so, telepharmacy follow-up and trying to adapt the shipping schedule could be areas to improve the service.
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The effect of flexible work on mental health is not well known. The aim of this systematic review was to assess the effects of employee-oriented flexible work on mental health problems and associated disability. Literature searches were conducted in the PubMed, Scopus, Web of Sciences, Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, ProQuest and EconPapers databases from their inception through October-November 2020. Sixteen studies on the associations of worktime control, working from home, or flexible working arrangements with mental health related outcomes were included in the review: one cluster randomized controlled trial, two non-randomized controlled trials, two cross-over studies, and 11 prospective cohort studies. Three reviewers independently assessed the met-hodological quality of the included studies and extracted the data. The included studies differed in design, intervention/exposure, and outcome, so meta-analysis was not carried out and qualitative results were reported. A few prospective cohort studies found that low employees’ control over worktime increases the risk of depressive symptoms, psychological distress, burnout, and accumulated fatigue. One cross-over and a few cohort studies found small beneficial effects of working partly from home on depressive symptoms, stress, and emotional exhaustion. A small number of controlled trials, cross-over or cohort studies found that flexible working arrangements increase employees’ control over working hours, but have only modest beneficial effects on psychological distress, burnout, and emotional exhaustion. This systematic review suggests that employee-oriented flexible work may have small beneficial effects on mental health. However, randomized controlled trials and quasi-experimental studies are needed to identify the health effects of flexible work.
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In this article, we investigate how the COVID-19 epidemic affects the U.S. information technology (IT) labor market and, accordingly, how organizations choose to hire IT employees in the current situation. Using the second half of 2020 (July-December) dataset of 57 847 IT job postings from a large online employment website, we perform descriptive analysis and logistic regression to examine the relationships between pandemic severity and work arrangements (remote versus on-site), work schedules (part-time versus full time), and organizational sectors (commercial versus government versus nonprofit). Our results reveal that the U.S. IT market in the latter half of 2020 is in turbulence, for both part-time and remote job postings. For governments and nonprofit organizations such as hospitals and schools, 'frontline' IT support professionals were highly prized, whereas commercial employers, including tech giants, were more interested in growing a remote IT workforce. © 1973-2011 IEEE.
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Context: Agile software development (ASD) sets social aspects like communication and collaboration in focus. Thus, one may assume that the specific work organization of companies impacts the work of ASD teams. A major change in work organization is the switch to a 4-day work week, which some companies investigated in experiments. Also, recent studies show that ASD teams are affected by the switch to remote work since the Covid 19 pandemic outbreak in 2020. Objective: Our study presents empirical findings on the effects on ASD teams operating remote in a 4-day work week organization. Method: We performed a qualitative single case study and conducted seven semi-structured interviews, observed 14 agile practices and screened eight project documents and protocols of agile practices. Results: We found, that the teams adapted the agile method in use due to the change to a 4-day work week environment and the switch to remote work. The productivity of the two ASD teams did not decrease. Although the stress level of the ASD team member increased due to the 4-day work week, we found that the job satisfaction of the individual ASD team members is affected positively. Finally, we point to affects on social facets of the ASD teams. Conclusion: The research community benefits from our results as the current state of research dealing with the effects of a 4-day work week on ASD teams is limited. Also, our findings provide several practical implications for ASD teams working remote in a 4-day work week. © 2022, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
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Introduction: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic fundamentally changed school life as well as the professional life of teachers (TE). For example, organizational processes changed (e.g., increase in workload), pedagogical challenges emerged (e.g., distance learning) and hygiene plans had to be implemented and realized. The leading question was: did psychological stress in TE increase during the pandemic? If so, what sociodemographic and work-related variables were associated with this stress? Material and Methods: TE throughout Germany were surveyed online in March 2021. Data on psychological stress and strains were assessed using established (e.g., PHQ-4) and specially developed (e.g., corona-associated anxiety) instruments. After data cleaning, 31,090 participants were included in the analysis. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the relationship between psychological stress (e.g., depressiveness) and sociodemographic (e.g., gender) and work-related variables (e.g., work schedule). Results: A significant increase in likely stress induced psychological symptoms was found compared to pre SARS-CoV-2 pandemic samples. Analyses are currently in progress. Results will be presented at the ICOH conference in 2022. Conclusions: The observed increase in psychological stress of TE during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic represents a call for interventions especially for highly stressed subgroups of TE. These stress reactions in TE have to be interpreted against the background of a likewise increased mental stress in the general population and their relative changes have to be identified in order to provide demand-oriented help.
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BACKGROUND: Working as a nurse means being able to provide high-quality care 24/7. Studies have shown that the average number of working hours per week is a significant predictor of stress and that the severity of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has increased the nurses' stress levels. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of the nursing staff's working hours during the COVID-19 pandemic on the perceived level of stress. METHOD: We carried out an online cross-sectional survey and measured the stress level with the perceived stress scale. RESULTS: Most of the nurses experienced a moderate level of stress. We identified a statistically significant association between increased numbers of working hours per week and the nurses' perceived stress level. In addition, 15% of the nurses who had worked more than 40â¯h reported experiencing a high level of stress. CONCLUSION: These results reflect the negative consequences of prolonged working hours. For this reason, a (inter)national discussion is needed on the topic of restricting the working hours of healthcare workers during such pandemics. This discussion can improve the health and safety of healthcare workers, patients and members of the general population.
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Flexibility is crucial when employees manage their work and family demands and their commute between home and work. The current study examined the direct and moderation effects of variables from multiple domains including work schedule control (work domain), childcare hours (family domain), and life satisfaction (overall life domain). The impact of the geographic context on work-family conflict was tested with two contextual variables that were generated with Geographic Information System (GIS) technology, where 'absolute' and 'relative commute time' were investigated in relation to work-family conflict. The participants participated in the National Study of Changing Workforce and completed an online survey on many work and family related variables. Results support the fact that commute time has an impact on work-family dynamics, that life satisfaction can influence this relationship, and that it is important to consider neighborhood in future research to better comprehend work-family interface issues. The study also highlights the importance of urbanization, relative and absolute commute time, etc. in impacting work-family conflict. Additionally, the study discusses the impact of COVID-19 on commute and one's work-family dynamics. Future research directions are put forward to better understand work and family experiences in the post COVID-19 world.
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AIM AND OBJECTIVE: To explore nurses' experiences regarding shift patterns while providing front-line care for COVID-19 patients in isolation wards of hospitals in Shanghai and Wuhan during the novel coronavirus pandemic. Our findings will help to optimise shift work scheduling, use the existing nursing workforce more efficiently and improve nursing quality. BACKGROUND: Nurses are one of the main professionals fighting against COVID-19. Providing care for COVID-19 patients is challenging. In isolation wards, the workload has increased, and the workflow and shift patterns are completely different from the usual. More importantly, there is a shortage of nurses. Therefore, it is essential and urgent to arrange nurses' shifts correctly and use the existing workforce resources efficiently. DESIGN: A qualitative descriptive study of 14 nurses in Chinese hospitals was conducted. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were used based on the phenomenological research method; data were analysed using Colaizzi's method of data analysis. This study aligns with the COREQ checklist. RESULTS: Four themes were extracted: assess the competency of nurses to assign nursing work scientifically and reasonably, reorganise nursing workflow to optimise shift patterns, communicate between managers and front-line nurses to humanise shift patterns, and nurses' various feelings and views on shift patterns. CONCLUSION: It is necessary to arrange shift patterns scientifically and allocate workforce rationally to optimise nursing workforce allocation, reduce nurses' workload, improve nursing quality and promote physical and mental health among nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: This study emphasised nurses' experiences on shift patterns in isolation wards, providing useful information to manage shift patterns. Nursing managers should arrange shifts scientifically, allocate nursing workforce rationally, formulate emergency plans and establish emergency response rosters during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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COVID-19/nursing , Nursing Staff, Hospital/organization & administration , Personnel Staffing and Scheduling/organization & administration , Workflow , Adult , China , Female , Humans , Middle Aged , Pandemics , Qualitative Research , SARS-CoV-2 , Workload/psychologyABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Sleep disorders may exacerbate many physical and mental health conditions, causing difficulty function in a healthcare setting. Workers screening for the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) infection have a high risk of not only occupational exposure to the virus but also sleep disorders. However, the job-related factors associated with reduced sleep quality remain unclear. METHODS: All healthcare workers temporarily scheduled to screen the 2019-nCoV patients were asked to complete a self-administered questionnaire that included questions on demographics, job-related factors, and sleep quality as assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Sleep quality was assessed over a one-month follow-up period. RESULTS: A total of 116 doctors and 99 nurses were recruited for this study. The total scheduled work time was 14.78 ± 6.69 days during follow-up. Some job-related factors, such as number of work days, years of work experience, and subjective psychological stress, were associated with changes in the PSQI score. During the study, some workers tried out cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for sleep disorders using methods that were available online and easily accessible. Adopting online CBT was shown to be associated with scores of components of sleep quality, sleep latency, and sleep disturbance (ß = -0.152, P = 0.01; ß = -0.175, P = 0.008; and ß = -0.158, P = 0.011, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Healthcare workers involved in screening for 2019-nCoV experienced reduced sleep quality, and a reasonable work schedule may help with maintaining sleep quality. In addition, interventions for healthcare workers should target self-help sleep assistance.