Abstract
BackgroundGlobally, renal healthcare practitioners provide intensive and protracted support to a highly complex multi-morbid patient population however knowledge about the impact of COVID-19 on these practitioners is extremely limited.ObjectiveThis study aimed to explore the experiences of COVID-19 with renal healthcare practitioners during the first global lockdown between June 2020 and September 2020.MethodsA multi-methods approach was carried out including a quantitative survey and qualitative interviews. This was a multinational study of renal healthcare practitioners from 29 countries. Quantitative: A self-designed survey on COVID-19 experiences and standardised questionnaires (General Health Questionnaire-12; Maslach Burnout Inventory). Descriptive statistics were generated for numerical data. Qualitative: Online semi-structured interviews were conducted. Data was subjected to thematic analysis. Renal healthcare practitioners (n = 251) completed an online survey. Thirteen renal healthcare practitioners took part in semi-structured interviews (12 nurses and 1 dietician).ResultsThe majority of participants surveyed were female (86.9 %; n = 218), nurses (86.9 %; n = 218) with an average 21.5 (SD = 11.1) years’ experience since professional qualification, and 16.3 years (SD = 9.3) working in renal healthcare. Survey responses indicated a level of preparedness, training and satisfactory personal protective equipment during the pandemic however approximately 40.3 % experienced fear about attending work, and 49.8 % experienced mental health distress. The highest prevalence of burnout was emotional exhaustion (35.9 %). Three themes emerged from the qualitative analysis highlighting the holistic complexities in managing renal healthcare, a neglected specialist workforce, and the need for appropriate support at work during a pandemic.ConclusionsResults have highlighted the psychological impact, in terms of emotional exhaustion and mental health distress in our sample of renal healthcare practitioners. As the pandemic has continued, it is important to consider the long-term impact on an already stretched workforce including the risk of developing mental health disorders. Future research and interventions are required to understand and improve the provision of psychological support for specialist medical and nursing personnel.
Highlights
Renal healthcare practitioners provide intensive and protracted support to a highly complex multi-morbid patient population knowledge about the impact of COVID-19 on these practitioners is extremely limited
This study aims to conduct a multi-method approach to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on renal Healthcare practitioners (HCPs) working in multiple countries
Between June 2020 and September 2020 an online survey was completed by 251 renal HCPs
Summary
Renal healthcare practitioners provide intensive and protracted support to a highly complex multi-morbid patient population knowledge about the impact of COVID-19 on these practitioners is extremely limited. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak was designated a public health emergency of international concern [1] Since this initial outbreak the virus has spread to every continent and has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation, with approximately 170 million confirmed cases, 3.5 million deaths worldwide [2]. Evidence has predominantly focused on anaesthesiology, radiology, and immunology HCPs [11, 12] Other specialties such as nephrology during the initial outbreak has been neglected [4]. This is surprising given COVID-19 related acute kidney injury [13, 14] has increased the demand for kidney services, leading to concerns about renal HCPs as well as shortages of dialysis equipment, and the potential need to ration treatment [15]
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