Examining the impact of stressors during COVID-19 on emergency department healthcare workers: an international perspective.

Details

• Personal Author:
  Davis, Kermit G. ; Fang R ; Gillespie GL ; Gould J ; Keller E ; Widestrom M
• Description:
  Emergency department healthcare workers are known to face a unique combination of pressures from their careers and work environments regularly. Caring for dying patients and making difficult lifesaving decisions not only continued but also became more prevalent for emergency department healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. A growing body of literature revealed that the mental and emotional toll of COVID-19 has been tremendous. However, the burden of COVID-19 on the overall physical health and work-life balance on this group needs to be understood. This study aimed to describe the impact of stress on wellbeing and health across the globe among emergency department healthcare workers. A cross-sectional survey comprising work-family and family-work conflict scale, work-life balance, physical symptoms inventory, Oldenburg Burnout Inventory, satisfaction with job and life, and life change index scale was distributed to a convenience sample through listservs and social media. In total, 287 participants responded, 109 completing all questions. Fatigue was the most common symptom reported to occur daily (28.4%, n = 31), followed by muscle pain (13.8%, n = 15) and backache (11.9%, n = 13). Nurse practitioners reported the highest number of physical symptoms and the highest average scores and counts of stressful life events, while registered nurses indicated the highest work-family conflict levels. Linear regressions showed that stressful life events are significantly associated with both physical symptoms and work-family conflict. Results underscore the need to better support emergency department workers to mitigate the risks associated with occupational stress. Protective organizational policies and increased support strategies may be employed to improve wellbeing and cultivate a more sustainable workforce. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Emergency Responders Family Fatigue Health Personnel Men Mental Health Musculoskeletal System Occupational Health Safety Stress, Psychological Surveys And Questionnaires Women Workplace

  More +
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Burnout; Global Workforce; Healthcare; Stress; Wellbeing Emergency Care; Emergency Medical Services Workers; EMS; Health Care Workers; Workers; Work Environment; Mental Stress; Emotional Stress; Work-life Balance; Families; Physical Stress; Psychological Stress; Humans; Men; Women; Questionnaires; Fatigue; Muscles; Back Pain; Stress; Protective Measures; Statistical Analysis;
• ISSN:
  1660-4601
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Ohio ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  19
• Issue:
  6
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20064853
• Citation:
  Int J Environ Res Public Health 2022 Mar; 19(6):3730
• Contact Point Address:
  Gordon Lee Gillespie, College of Nursing, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221
• Email:
  gordon.gillespie@uc.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2022
• Performing Organization:
  University of Cincinnati
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
• End Date:
  20260630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:8d130587e03bb2fc2e94fbee151844f3f5a3d9b53f22888cf4601615301480c41a03e9fdedf6143d9d9f949e94a31d52affb49022784c49c34cd897a1e446bb2
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/249255/cdc_249255_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 500.25 KB ]