Community healthcare workers' experiences during and after COVID‐19 lockdown: A qualitative study from Aotearoa New Zealand

Abstract

Shortly after the COVID‐19 pandemic reached Aotearoa New Zealand, stringent lockdown measures lasting 7 weeks were introduced to manage community spread of the virus. This paper reports the findings of a qualitative study examining how lockdown measures impacted upon the lives of nurses, midwives and personal care assistants caring for community‐based patients during this time. The study involved nationwide surveys and in‐depth interviews with 15 registered nurses employed in community settings, two community midwives and five personal care assistants. During the lockdown, nurses, midwives and personal care assistants working in the community showed considerable courage in answering their ‘call to duty’ by taking on heightened care responsibilities and going ‘the extra mile’ to help others. They faced significant risks to personal and professional relationships when they were required to take on additional and complex responsibilities for community‐based patients. Despite the hypervigilant monitoring of their personal protective equipment (PPE), the need to safeguard family and community members generated considerable stress and anxiety. Many also faced personal isolation and loneliness as a result of lockdown restrictions. Moreover, the negative impacts of experiences during lockdown often continued to be felt once restrictions had been lifted, inflecting life during periods in which community transmission of COVID‐19 was not occurring. This article makes five core service delivery and policy recommendations for supporting community‐based nurses, midwives and personal care assistants in respiratory disease pandemics: acknowledging the crucial role played by community‐based carers and the associated stress and anxiety they endured by championing respect and compassion; demystifying the ‘heroism’ or ‘self‐sacrifice’ projected onto care workers; the timely provision of adequate protective equipment; improving remuneration, with adequate provision for time off; and regular counselling, peer support groups and education on work‐life balance delivered by support workers in recognition of stressors arising from these complex and isolated working conditions.

Experiences of the COVID-19 Lockdown and Telehealth in Aotearoa New Zealand: Lessons and Insights from Mental Health Clinicians

“…Challenges to wellbeing, the blurring of boundaries, and the need for greater support while working-from-home are consistent with findings arising from studies of the general population [ 5 , 13 ]. Although part of a good therapeutic relationship requires building trust and shared understandings [ 36 ], working-from-home can blur personal and professional positions with greater sharing of information about home environments [ 13 , 37 ]. Working-from-home may also redefine clinician regular work patterns, particularly within rapidly changing work contexts.…”

“…The overwhelming demand for services may contribute to psychological trauma in these workers [ 12 ]. NZ research suggests disruption of personal life and isolation exacted emotional tolls on healthcare workers [ 13 ]. Greater in-depth understanding of mental health clinician wellbeing is necessary to refine clinician support systems, navigate future pandemic responses, and improve usual business practices.…”

Experiences of nurses providing maternity care in a public hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic in Nepal: A qualitative study

“…This calls for inquiry on the experiences of the maternal care providers to understand the potential challenges of delivering services during the pandemic including the service providers' physical, emotional and societal influences on their practice in Nepal. There is considerable peer-reviewed literature reporting experiences of health workers in general from across income settings [25,26] but more limited reporting in maternity care providers [27]. Accordingly, a deeper exploration of the pandemic's impact in a low resource maternity setting is of value.…”

Lived Experiences of Female Nurses with COVID-19 Deaths on Their Watch

“…Being self-effacing beyond the call of duty added to the already growing workloads brought on by inconvenient COVID-19 protocols [ 69 ]. It was found that self-efficacy, psychological resilience, and social support were negatively associated with anxiety, depression, and PTSD [ 17 , 61 ].…”