ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Although Saudi Arabia is a common destination to which nurses and doctors migrate, few studies have explored the pull factors attracting them to work in the Middle East and Saudi Arabia. This qualitative study explores the pull factors drawing nurses and doctors to work in Saudi Arabian hospitals. METHODS: The study utilized a qualitative approach with focus groups. The participants included 83 doctors and nurses at two government hospitals. RESULTS: Five themes (rewards, job entry requirements, religion, influence of family and friends, and changing work environments) were identified based on the 10 focus group sessions. CONCLUSION: Moving forward, health managers should proactively plan the state of healthcare as the need for migrant healthcare workers changes.
Subject(s)
Nurses , Physicians , Humans , Saudi Arabia , Job Satisfaction , Hospitals, PublicABSTRACT
Bacterial co-infections may aggravate COVID-19 disease, and therefore being cognizant of other pathogens is imperative. We studied the types, frequency, antibiogram, case fatality rates (CFR), and clinical profiles of co-infecting-pathogens in 301 COVID-19 patients. Co-infection was 36% (n = 109), while CFR was 31.2% compared to 9.9% in non-co-infected patients (z-value = 3.1). Four bacterial species dominated, namely, multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (37%, n = 48), extremely drug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (26%, n = 34), multidrug-resistant Eschericia. coli (18.6%, n = 24), and extremely drug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (8.5%, n = 11), in addition to other bacterial species (9.3%, n = 12). Increased co-infection of K. pneumoniae and A. baumannii was associated with increased death rates of 29% (n = 14) and 32% (n = 11), respectively. Klebsiella pneumoniae was equally frequent in respiratory and urinary tract infections (UTI), while E. coli mostly caused UTI (67%), and A. baumannii and P. aeruginosa dominated respiratory infections (38% and 45%, respectively). Co-infections correlated with advance in age: seniors ≥ 50 years (71%), young adults 21-49 years (25.6%), and children 0-20 years (3%). These findings have significant clinical implications in the successful COVID-19 therapies, particularly in geriatric management. Future studies would reveal insights into the potential selective mechanism(s) of Gram-negative bacterial co-infection in COVID-19 patients.
Subject(s)
Bacterial Infections , COVID-19 , Coinfection , Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections , Urinary Tract Infections , Aged , Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use , Bacteria , Bacterial Infections/microbiology , COVID-19/epidemiology , Child , Coinfection/drug therapy , Coinfection/epidemiology , Escherichia coli , Female , Gram-Negative Bacteria , Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections/drug therapy , Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections/epidemiology , Humans , Klebsiella pneumoniae , Male , Microbial Sensitivity Tests , Middle Aged , Pseudomonas aeruginosa , Urinary Tract Infections/drug therapyABSTRACT
AIM: This paper is part of a larger doctoral study that investigated the impact of nationality on the job satisfaction of nurses and their intentions to leave Saudi Arabian government hospitals. The paper aims to gain an understanding of the impact of expatriate status on nurses' perceptions, by comparing the factors that influence job satisfaction among Saudi nurses to those that affect nurses recruited from other countries. BACKGROUND: Job satisfaction is a known predictor of nurse retention. Although there is a broad understanding of the factors that affect job satisfaction, little is known about how these vary between home and expatriate nurses working in countries which rely on a multicultural migrant workforce. METHODS: A descriptive qualitative approach was taken, in which 26 semi-structured interviews were conducted with nurses selected from different nationalities, all of whom were working in Saudi Arabian hospitals. Eight participants were Saudi Arabian, six Filipino, four Indian, four South African, two Jordanian and two Malaysian. FINDINGS: Five themes were identified that differentiated the perceptions of expatriates regarding their job satisfaction from those of the home nurses: separation from family, language and communication, fairness of remuneration, moving into the future and professionalism. CONCLUSION: Focusing on the enhancement of job satisfaction experienced by expatriate nurses can result in a healthier work environment and greater retention of these nurses. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING AND NURSING POLICY: To enhance nurse retention, policy makers in countries with migrant nurses should address their socio-economic needs. This includes providing both greater access to their dependent family members, and language lessons and cultural orientation to reduce linguistic and cultural challenges.
