Occupational stress among non-clinical healthcare staff at the University Hospital of the West Indies, Jamaica during COVID-19

ABSTRACT

Objective: To understand how non-clinical healthcare workers at the University Hospital of the West Indies, Jamaica experience occupational stress during the COVID- 19 pandemic. Design and Methods: This qualitative exploratory study was conducted using semi-structured interviews and a focus group. The 12 research participants were employees at the University Hospital of the West Indies who were nonclinical healthcare professionals such as housekeepers and administrative staff. Data analysis was completed manually in Microsoft Excel concurrently with QCAmap using the principles of qualitative content analysis. Ethical approval was granted for this study by the University of Essex Online Ethics Committee and the Mona Campus Research Ethics Committee. Result(s) There were three significant findings in this study. First, the events and conditions in the workplace which cause occupational stress among the sample during the pandemic occurred in three layers, latent, manifest, and antecedent. Secondly, there is an interrelation between occupational stress and the cultural, social, and financial situations in the participants' lives. That is, each component is related to one another which altogether contributes to the overall experience of occupational stress. Third, managers should demonstrate their interest in the well-being of non-clinical healthcare professionals by taking a risk-based approach to provide effective psychological support during the COVID- 19 pandemic. Conclusion(s) Non-clinical healthcare workers experience occupational stress similar to clinical healthcare workers and their psychological needs should be given similar priority.