Abstract
“It’s like fighting a war with rocks”: Nursing home healthcare workers’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic
Highlights
The pandemic worsened the critical problem of chronic understaffing in nursing homes[3] due to absenteeism and infected staff who were quarantined
The acute shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) has been disproportionately challenging for nursing homes compared to hospitals
The foremost fear is fear of developing COVID-19 and transmitting SARS-CoV-2,6 our participants were afraid of not knowing how they got infected, of reinfection, and of transmitting the virus to their families (Table 1, Q8, Q9, and Q10). They felt their workplaces had failed them, and they were angered that, despite the risks, they were not protected (Table 1, Q11). They perceived disparities related to PPE when they saw nursing home administrators had N95 masks while “those in the front line [were] not protected” (Table 1, Q12)
Summary
The pandemic worsened the critical problem of chronic understaffing in nursing homes[3] due to absenteeism and infected staff who were quarantined. Nursing homes hired temporary nurses from agencies to manage staffing needs, but during the pandemic, some “agency nurses just bolted.” Available HCWs were taxed to the limit (Table 1, Q1 and Q2).
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
