Differences in Perceived Occupational Stress by Demographic Characteristics, of European Emergency Medical Services Personnel during the COVID-19 Virus Pandemic—An International Study

Abstract

Objectives: The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has brought commercial, social, and economic consequences in every country that has experienced substantial SARS-CoV-2 infection rates. The complete change in the environment that took place due to the outbreak of the pandemic can lead to stressful situations, especially among healthcare personnel. Material and methods: The research were conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic between the 27 March 2020 and the 20 April 2020. The research included 1984 employees of emergency medical systems in seven European countries. An internet-based questionnaire format was adopted for the study (ΩMc-Donald > 0.7). Results: The highest level of stress was experienced by personnel in the United Kingdom M = 4.03, and the lowest by Norwegian employees M = 2.89. High levels of stress were also experienced by nurses from Spain and Poland. Women actively working in the healthcare system during the pandemic experienced higher stress levels than men. Conclusions: Women working in European emergency medical systems are more vulnerable to work-related stress, while carrying out emergency medical procedures during the pandemic. Differences in the level of stress experienced while carrying out duties in pre-hospital conditions were only found among Spanish emergency medical system personnel.

Factors which impact the length of hospitalisation and death rate of COVID-19 patients based on initial triage using capillary blood gas tests: a single centre study

“…A significant clinical problem, depending on the severity of the virus, is the period of hospitalisation, which may be prolonged depending on the complexity of the symptoms. Working conditions for medical staff during the pandemic have been very difficult—the amount of work and the stress associated with limitations on the equipment available 6 . Some procedures, such as imaging diagnostics or laboratory tests, are not possible when the patient arrives at the hospital.…”

Physical Inactivity is Associated with Job Burnout in Health Professionals During the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…It has been more than two years since COVID-19 spread throughout the world, becoming the first major pandemic of the 21st century and has not only brought with it confinement, despair, and death, 1 but has also negatively impacted the social and economic life of most countries. 2 Moreover, the negative effect of the pandemic is evident in the functioning of health systems and in the work of health professionals, who have had to face the reality of carrying out medical tasks and procedures under completely challenging conditions. As an example, at the Ibero-American level, Peru has the third highest number of physicians who have died due to COVID-19.…”

“…6 Job burnout is a detrimental physical or emotional response that is primarily due to the fact that workers' skills, abilities, creativity, and needs do not match the current requirements of the job, leading to signs of strain such as physical and mental fatigue, when there is little capacity to cope. 2,7,8 During the pandemic, healthcare personnel are under a great deal of stress during the care process and may be compounded by a number of factors, such as the continued spread of the virus, dealing with family concerns, additional workload, and the need to continue to maintain heightened security measures to avoid becoming infected. 2 On the other hand, other causes of job burnout in front-line health professionals in the face of the pandemic are the lack of adequate knowledge about the disease, the lack of effective drugs for treatment, and the lack of vaccines.…”

“…2,7,8 During the pandemic, healthcare personnel are under a great deal of stress during the care process and may be compounded by a number of factors, such as the continued spread of the virus, dealing with family concerns, additional workload, and the need to continue to maintain heightened security measures to avoid becoming infected. 2 On the other hand, other causes of job burnout in front-line health professionals in the face of the pandemic are the lack of adequate knowledge about the disease, the lack of effective drugs for treatment, and the lack of vaccines. All this is in addition to the serious effects of the disease in some patients, which caused a wave of stress and emotional reactions in health professionals.…”

“…11 Similarly, a study conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic among healthcare personnel found an increase in the level of job burnout. 2 More specifically, there was evidence that women who were active in the health care system during the pandemic reported higher levels of stress than men. 2 Moreover, in a cross-sectional survey in which 290 medical staff members from different hospitals were evaluated, it was reported that the mean stress scores were between high and moderate levels.…”