Abstract
PurposeCOVID‐19 has presented health care professionals with unprecedented challenges. Significant risks have emerged as nurses have continued to work in delivering frontline health care during the pandemic. Feeling “at risk” has significant deleterious effects on nurses. The study sought to explore the perceptions of risk by Australian primary health care nurses (PHC) during COVID‐19.MethodsTwenty‐five Australian PHC nurses were purposively recruited from survey respondents who indicated a willingness to be interviewed. Phone interviews were undertaken between June and August 2020. Audio‐recordings were transcribed and analyzed thematically.FindingsParticipants shared concerns about risks in the workplace that emerged during COVID‐19 and described the strategies used to mitigate these identified risks. Three themes were identified: (a) Professional concerns, (b) Personal/family concerns, and (c) Patient needs.ConclusionsUnderstanding PHC nurses’ perceptions of risk during COVID‐19 provides an important insight into how they can be better supported to manage the risks that they face and feel safer in their workplace. Ensuring that PHC nurses are well‐supported is important to optimize job satisfaction, reduce burnout and improve patient care.Clinical RelevanceThere is a need to ensure that nurses feel safe during crises such as pandemics to protect both individual nurses and the broader workforce. Protecting the health workforce is essential to optimizing service delivery and promoting health outcomes.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
More From: Journal of nursing scholarship : an official publication of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.