Emergency Healthcare Workers Research Articles

Investigation of Fear of COVID-19, Work Stress and Affecting Factors in Prehospital Emergency Healthcare Workers

Background: Since healthcare workers work in the same environment with infected patients, they have a higher risk in terms of COVID-19 transmission compared to other parts of society, and accordingly, they experience more stress.
 Purpose: The aim of this study to investigate the fear of COVID-19, work stress, and affecting factors in prehospital healthcare workers.
 Methods: The research has a descriptive and cross-sectional design. The research was completed with a total of 399 individuals. Data were collected online using an introductory information form, the Fear of COVID-19 Scale, and the General Work Stress Scale. 
 Results: The level of fear of COVID-19 was higher in women compared to men (B=-1.451, p=0.012), in married individuals compared to singles (B=-1.667, p=0.011), in those with low income compared to those with moderate or high income (B=-2.259, p

A cross-sectional study to assess job strain of emergency healthcare workers by Karasek questionnaire: The SEEK study.

Emergency healthcare workers (eHCWs) are particularly at risk of stress, but data using the gold standard questionnaire of Karasek are scarce. We assessed the level of stress of eHCWs and aimed to compare it with the general population. This is a cross-sectional nationwide study in French Emergency Departments (EDs), using the job-content questionnaire of Karasek, compared with the 25,000 answers in the French general population (controls from the SUMER study). The descriptions of job demand, job control, and social support were described as well as the prevalence of job strain and isostrain. Putative factors were searched using mixed-method analysis. A total of 166 eHCWs (37.9 ± 10.5 years old, 42% men) from five French EDs were included: 53 emergency physicians and 104 emergency paramedics, compared to 25,000 workers with other occupations. Job demand was highest for physicians (28.3 ± 3.3) and paramedics (25.9 ± 3.8), compared to controls (36.0 ± 7.2; p < 0.001). Job control was the lowest for physicians (61.2 ± 5.8) and paramedics (59.1 ± 6.8), compared to controls (70.4 ± 11.7; p < 0.001). Mean social support did not differ between groups (23.6 ± 3.4 for physicians, 22.6 ± 2.9 for paramedics, and 23.7 ± 3.6 for controls). The prevalence of job strain was massively higher for physicians (95.8%) and paramedics (84.8%), compared to controls (23.9%; p < 0.001), as well as for isostrain (45.1% for physicians, 56.8% for paramedics, and 14.3% for controls, p < 0.001). We did not find any significant impact of sociodemographic characteristics on job control, job demand, or social support. Emergency healthcare workers have a dramatic rate of job strain, necessitating urgent promotion of policy to take care of them.

Influence of COVID-19 on stress at work during the first wave of the pandemic among emergency health care workers.

For more than 2 years, COVID-19 has forced worldwide healthcare systems to adapt their daily practice. These adaptations add to the already stressful demands of providing timely medical care in an overcrowded healthcare system. Specifically, the COVID-19 pandemic added stress to an already overwhelmed emergency and critical care health care workers (HCWs) on the frontlines during the first wave of the pandemic. This study assessed comparative subjective and objective stress among frontline HCWs using a visual analog scale and biometric data, specifically heart rate variability (HRV). Setting and Participants: This is a prospective, observational study using surveys and heart rate monitoring among HCWs who work in three frontline healthcare units (emergency department, mobile intensive care unit, and intensive care unit) in the University Hospital of Clermont-Ferrand, France. Two sessions were performed: one during the first wave of the pandemic (April 10 to May 10, 2020) and one after the first wave of the pandemic (June 10 to July 15, 2020).Main outcomes and measures: The primary outcome is the difference in stress levels between the two time points. Secondary objectives were the impact of overcrowding, sociodemographics, and other variables on stress levels. We also assessed the correlation between subjective and objective stress levels. Among 199 HCWs, 98 participated in biometric monitoring, 84 had biometric and survey data, and 12 with only biometric data. Subjective stress was higher during the second time point compared to the first (4.39±2.11 vs. 3.16±2.34 p=0,23). There were higher objective stress levels with a decrease in HRV between the first and the second time points. Furthermore, we found higher patient volumes as a source of stress during the second time point. We did not find any significant correlation between subjective and objective stress levels. HCWs had higher stress levels between the two waves of the pandemic. Overcrowding in the emergency department is associated with higher stress levels. We did not find any correlation between subjective and objective stress among intensive care and emergency HCWs during the first wave of the pandemic.

Enhancing a Willingness to Respond to Disasters and Public Health Emergencies Among Health Care Workers, Using mHealth Intervention: A Multidisciplinary Approach.

Health care workers (HCWs) are increasingly faced with the continuous threat of confronting acute disasters, extreme weather-related events, and protracted public health emergencies. One of the major factors that determines emergency-department-based HCWs' willingness to respond during public health emergencies and disasters is self-efficacy. Despite increased public awareness of the threat of disasters and heightened possibility of future public health emergencies, the emphasis on preparing the health care workforce for such disasters is inadequate in low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs). Interventions for boosting self-efficacy and response willingness in public health emergencies and disasters have yet to be implemented or examined among emergency HCWs in LMICs. Mobile health (mHealth) technology seems to be a promising platform for such interventions, especially in a resource-constrained setting. This paper introduces an mHealth-focused project that demonstrates a model of multi-institutional and multidisciplinary collaboration for research and training to enhance disaster response willingness among emergency department workers in Pakistan.

Evaluation Of The Relationship Between Pre-Hospital Emergency Health Care Workers' Use of Personal Protective Equipment and Covid-19 Fear and Anxiety Levels During The Pandemic Process

Çalışmamızda pandemi sürecinde hastane öncesi acil sağlık çalışanlarının kişisel koruyucu donanım kullanımının Covid-19 korku ve anksiyete düzeyleri ile ilişkisinin ortaya konması amaçlanmıştır. Ocak 2021’de gerçekleştirilen kesitsel tipte olan araştırmamıza 175 hastane öncesi acil sağlık çalışanı katılmıştır. Çalışmada veri toplama aracı olarak demografik özellikler, kişisel koruyucu donanım kullanım durumları, Covid-19 Anksiyete Ölçeği ve Covid-19 Korku Ölçeğinden oluşan anket formu kullanılmıştır. Anket formu çevrimiçi ortamda sağlık çalışanlarına gönderilmiş ve aynı şekilde toplanarak analiz edilmiştir. Çalışmamızda sağlık çalışanlarının demografik özellikleri ile anksiyete düzeyleri arasında anlamlı farklılıklar bulunamamıştır (p&gt;0,05). Medeni durum, yaş grubu, unvan, eğitim durumu ve çalışma süresi değişkenleri ile korku düzeyleri arasında anlamlı farklılıklar bulunamamıştır (p&gt;0,05). Kadınların korku düzeyi erkeklere göre yüksek bulunmuştur. Demografik özellikler ile kişisel koruyucu donanımlar kullanımları arasında anlamlı farklılıklar bulunmuştur (p

An Overview of Job Satisfaction of Emergency Healthcare Providers In Northern Cyprus

Introduction: Emergency calls are a challenging triangle that requires quick assessment, immediate action, and correct decision-making. The appropriate work environment and conditions of emergency healthcare workers result in this triangle's flawless functioning. This study aims to evaluate and overview the job satisfaction of the personnel working in emergency healthcare in Northern Cyprus. Methods: This descriptive study was conducted to evaluate the job satisfaction of the personnel working in emergency healthcare in Northern Cyprus. This research involved nurses, paramedics, and EMTs, who intervene in an emergency call. The participants' job satisfaction was evaluated by the scale developed by Güneri (2011). The scale score range was 47-235. A high score was considered as increased job satisfaction. Results: 132 personnel who work in emergency healthcare in Northern Cyprus participated in this study. 31.82% were aged between 36 and 49 years, 81.6 % were women, and 42.42% were undergraduates. 31.6% had worked for more than ten years. 39.39% (52) declared that they had occupational disease/accidents. 43.18% said they had received training more than two years ago. The participants' mean job satisfaction score was moderate (143.59 ± 26.86). Job satisfaction was higher in emergency call center personnel, high school graduates, and head nurses, working 40-50 hours a week, with seniority 1-4 years, and had integration training (p&lt;0.05). Conclusion: Emergency healthcare personnel in Northern Cyprus are primarily nurses. Most of them have not received updated training recently. Studies in which most participants are paramedics will reflect the current situation more objectively. Therefore, structuring emergency health services as a separate unit within the Ministry of Health and the necessary regulations can increase job satisfaction even more.

Risk of Radiation Exposure to Emergency Department Personnel From Portable Radiographs

BackgroundThere are concerns that emergency health care workers are exposed to ionizing radiation as the result of frequent portable radiographs obtained in the emergency department (ED) during active patient care. ObjectiveOur aim was to investigate whether ED staff are exposed to significant radiation due to scatter from portable radiography at a busy trauma center and whether exposure was related to factors such as location or distance. MethodsThis was a prospective cohort study performed during 3 consecutive months in the ED at a large, academic trauma center. Volunteer attendings, nurses, and resident physicians were asked to wear dosimeter badges during their shifts throughout the study period. Twelve stationary dosimeters were placed in selected locations in the ED, particularly in the resuscitation rooms, where most of the portable radiographs were obtained. ResultsDuring the 3-month study period, 1464 portable radiographs were obtained in the resuscitation rooms in the ED, mostly chest and pelvic radiographs. Analysis from stationary dosimeters placed in the ED showed a median of 0.18 mSv (95% CI 0.16–0.22 mSv) for the main resuscitation room and 0 mSv for other critical care patient rooms. Analysis of dosimeters worn by staff showed no measurable radiation exposure (0.00 mSv). ConclusionsThe level of radiation exposure to ED staff found in this study was well below the recommended allowable occupational exposure of 50 mSv/y. Radiation exposure is not a significant occupational hazard in a busy ED level I trauma center. Existing precautions should adequately protect staff from occupational exposure, and use of further protective gear, or the need for individual monitoring using dosimeters, appears unwarranted.

Exploring the Psychological Experiences of Frontline Healthcare Providers Dealing with Covid Patients

People's physical and mental health have been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Medical and psychological preparedness of the emergency healthcare workers (HCWs) is critical during a continuing outbreak of Ebola virus disease. An investigation of the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on emergency health care providers (EHCPs), as well as their stress coping mechanisms or protective factors, and obstacles they face while caring for COVID-19 patients will be conducted. From April 2, 2020 to April 25, 2020, 15 frontline emergency healthcare workers (HCWs) dealt with COVID-19 patients. In person or via phone, semi-structured interviews were done. Analysis was conducted utilising a thematic approach to data collection. A number of key findings focused on coping strategies for dealing with stressful situations, including: limiting media exposure; sharing duty details on a limited basis; religious coping; altruism as a fallback strategy; and, dealing with challenges, including: psychological responses and noncompliance with the public/denial by religious scholars. The COVID-19 pandemic-related stress and anxiety were discussed and various coping mechanisms were practiced and advised. Stress and worry in the population are often attributed to the media. Coping mechanisms included religious faith and a desire to serve humanity and their country.

COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Tests: Bibliometric Analysis of the Scientific Literature.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to disrupt health systems worldwide, conducting Rapid Antigen Testing (RAT) at specified intervals has become an essential part of many people’s lives around the world. We identified and analyzed the academic literature on COVID-19 RAT. The Web of Science electronic database was queried on 6 July 2022 to find relevant publications. Publication and citation data were retrieved directly from the database. VOSviewer, a bibliometric software, was then used to relate these data to the semantic content from the titles, abstracts, and keywords. The analysis was based on data from 1000 publications. The most productive authors were from Japan and the United States, led by Dr. Koji Nakamura from Japan (n = 10, 1.0%). The most academically productive countries were in the North America, Europe and Asia, led by the United States of America (n = 266, 26.6%). Sensitivity (n = 32, 3.2%) and specificity (n = 23, 2.3%) were among the most frequently recurring author keywords. Regarding sampling methods, “saliva” (n = 54, 5.4%) was mentioned more frequently than “nasal swab” (n = 32, 3.2%) and “nasopharyngeal swab” (n = 22, 2.2%). Recurring scenarios that required RAT were identified: emergency department, healthcare worker, mass screening, airport, traveler, and workplace. Our bibliometric analysis revealed that COVID-19 RAT has been utilized in a range of studies. RAT results were cross-checked with RT-PCR tests for sensitivity and specificity. These results are consistent with comparable exchanges of methods, results or discussions among laboratorians, authors, institutions and publishers in the involved countries of the world.

Management of Pediatric Stroke - Challenges and Perspectives from Resource-limited Settings

Childhood stroke is not as common as adult stroke, but it is underrecognized the world over. Diagnosis is often delayed due to lack of awareness not only by the lay public but also by emergency and front-line health care workers. Despite the relative rarity of childhood stroke, the impact on morbidity, mortality and the economic burden for families and society is high, especially in poorly resourced settings. The risk factors for stroke in children differ from the adult population where lifestyle factors play a more important role. The developmental aspects of the pediatric cerebral vasculature and hematological maturational biology affects the clinical presentation, investigation, management and outcomes of childhood stroke in a different way compared to adults. The management of childhood stroke is currently based on expert guidelines and evidence extrapolated from adult studies. Hyperacute therapies that have revolutionized the treatment of stroke in adults cannot be easily applied to children at this stage due to the diagnostic delays, diverse risk factors and developmental considerations mentioned above. Much has been achieved in the understanding of genetic, acquired, preventable and recurrent stroke risk factors in the past decade through international collaborative efforts like the International Pediatric Stroke Study. Evidence for the prevention and treatment of childhood stroke remains elusive. Even more elusive are relevant and achievable management guidelines for pediatric stroke in resource-limited settings. This narrative review focusses on the current management practices globally, emphasizing the challenges, and gaps in knowledge of pediatric stroke in low- and middle-income countries and other areas with limited resources. Priorities and some potential solutions at national and local level are suggested for these settings.

THE EVALUATION OF THE STATUS OF EMERGENCY HEALTH CARE WORKERS ABOUT DISASTER AWARENESS-THE BATMAN EXAMPLE

Amaç: Çalışmada, Batman ilindeki acil sağlık çalışanlarının afetler karşısında acil sağlık hizmeti sunarken yaşadıkları zorlukların ortaya çıkarılması ve afet bilinci bilgi düzeylerinin ölçülmesi amaçlandı.Materyal ve Metot: Araştırma tanımlayıcı tipte gerçekleştirildi. Çalışmanın evrenini, Batman 112 İl Ambulans Servisi Başhekimliği’ne bağlı görev yapan 182 çalışan oluşturdu. Çalışmada örneklem kullanımına gidilmedi, evrenin tamamına ulaşılması hedeflendi. Çalışma, gönüllülük esasına göre katılım gösteren toplam 174 çalışan ile yapıldı. Veriler, araştırmacılar tarafından hazırlanan anket formu ile toplandı. Verilerin değerlendirilmesinde, SPSS 25.0 istatistik paket programı kullanıldı. Analizlerde p&amp;lt;0,05 anlamlı olarak kabul edildi.Bulgular: Çalışmaya alınan 174 kişinin %43,7’si erkek, %56,3’ü ise kadın olarak tespit edildi. Katılımcıların sırasıyla en fazla salgın (%37,6) ve deprem (%30,6 afetlerine maruz kaldığı tespit edildi. Katılımcıların afet eğitimleri durumu sorgulandığında %48,3’ü aldığı eğitimin afet anında etkili olacağını düşündüğü görüldü. Aldığı afet eğitiminin etkili olacağını düşünen katılımcılarda afetzedelere müdahale ederken kendilerini yeterli bulma oranı en yüksek olarak tespit edildi.Sonuç: Çalışmanın yapıldığı Batman İli başta olmak üzere tüm diğer illerde bulunan acil sağlık çalışanlarının afet bilinci ve afet bilgi düzeyi tespit edilerek gerekli eğitimlerin verilmesi sağlanmalıdır. Verilen eğitimler tüm acil sağlık çalışanlarının katılımı olacak şekilde, düzenli tatbikatlar yapılarak tasdik edilmeli ve eksik görülen detaylar üzerinde durulmalıdır.

DEVELOPMENT OF PRE-HOSPITAL EMERGENCY HEALTH SERVICES APPROACH SCALE TO TRAUMA PATIENTS

Amaç: Hastane öncesi acil sağlık hizmetleri çalışanlarının travma hastalarına yaklaşım düzeylerini geçerli ve güvenilir biçimde ölçen bir ölçme aracının geliştirilmesidir.Gereç ve Yöntem: Araştırma betimsel tarzda yapılandırılmıştır. Araştırma grubu hastane öncesi acil sağlık hizmetleri çalışanlarıdır. Araştırmaya katılım gönüllülük esası ile olduğundan araştırmadaki örneklem, amaçlı örneklem bağlamında değerlendirilebilir. Veri toplamak amacıyla 27 soruluk aday ölçme aracı formu oluşturulmuştur. Verilerin analizinde SPSS 26,0 ve AMOS istatistik yazılımı kullanılmıştır. Açıklayıcı faktör analizi, güvenirlik analizi ve doğrulayıcı faktör analizi yapılmıştır. Geliştirilen ölçek ile örnek uygulama yapılmış ve katılımcıların ölçek skorları ile demografik değişkenleri arasında karşılaştırma analizleri yapılmıştır.Bulgular: Analizler sonucunda ölçeğin tek faktörlü 11 maddeden oluşan bir ölçek olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Bu yapı doğrulayıcı faktör analizi ile doğrulanmıştır. Ölçeğin güvenirlik değeri 0,923 olarak belirlenmiştir. Yapılan örnek uygulamada travma konusunda eğitim almış, gelişmelerin ve yeni yayınların takibini sağlayan çalışanların travma farkındalığı daha yüksek bulunmuştur.Sonuç: Geliştirilen ölçeğin acil sağlık hizmeti çalışanlarının travma vakalarına yaklaşımlarını, geçerli ve güvenilir biçimde ölçtüğü sonucuna ulaşılmıştır. Daha iyi bir travma yaklaşımı için çalışanlara en kısa sürede modül eğitimleri verilmeli, belli periyotlarla güncellemeler yapılmalıdır.

The angels and heroes of health care: Justified and appropriate, or harmful and destructive?

The angels and heroes of health care: Justified and appropriate, or harmful and destructive?

Challenges Faced by Emergency Healthcare Workers during Covid-19

Challenges Faced by Emergency Healthcare Workers during Covid-19

Covid-19 phobia in prehospital emergency medical services workers in Turkey.

The COVID-19 (coronavirus disease-2019) outbreak has its social, economic, and political effects on wider society, as well as physical and mental health effects on individuals. The psychological and social impacts are more apparent and common on emergency health care workers who have close contact with patients. Our study aims to investigate coronaphobia in emergency health care workers. A cross-sectional study was carried out in July 2020 with 253 people working under the Bingöl 112 Provincial Ambulance Service Chief of Staff. The data of the study were collected using a questionnaire including sociodemographic characteristics, working conditions, pandemic process, and the Coronavirus-19 Phobia Scale. P < .05 was considered statistically significant. The mean total score of COVID-19 phobia in 112 employees was 58.03 ± 18.78. The sub-dimension scores are psychological 21.92 ± 6.19, somatic 10.83 ± 5.68, social 15.98 ± 5.60, and economic 9.28 ± 4.18. Psychological and social sub-dimension scores and total COVID-19 phobia score of women, the somatic sub-dimension score of married people, all sub-dimension scores, and total COVID-19 phobia score of those who had contact with COVID-19-positive patients were found to be significantly higher (P < .05). Close contact with patients, working conditions, and the heavy schedule of nightshifts increase psychological and social fear in emergency health care workers. It is important to provide psychosocial support to emergency health care workers during the pandemic period.

A cross-sectional study of assessing knowledge, attitude, and practice of COVID-19 resuscitation among health care workers in a hybrid hospital for COVID-19 in Malaysia

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic is an international public health emergency. As hospitals receive more severe forms of COVID-19 that necessitate resuscitation, emergency health care workers (HCW) must follow interim COVID-19 resuscitation guidelines. ObjectiveThe aim is to evaluate the levels of knowledge, attitude, and practice among emergency HCW of the COVID-19 resuscitation protocol by the European Resuscitation Council (ERC). MethodsA cross-sectional study using a validated questionnaire was conducted among HCW in the emergency department of University of Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC), Malaysia from April to June 2021. ResultsA total of 159 respondents were included in the analysis (89% response rate). Sixty-eight percent of respondents had adequate knowledge regarding COVID-19 resuscitation. Majority of the respondents had knowledge on airborne-precaution personal protective equipment (PPE) (99%) and infection control measures (98%). Nearly 73% were pessimistic about the COVID-19 prognosis. Seventy-three percent of respondents thought an arrested COVID-19 patient may benefit from cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and 94% were willing to administer CPR provided airborne-precaution PPE was available. Ninety percent of respondents reported adherence to resuscitation guidelines. There were significant differences in the mean knowledge scores between designation, education levels, and COVID-19 training. Overall, the respondents’ level of practice was insufficient (27%), with a mean score of 53.7%(SD = 14.7). There was a lack of practicein the resuscitation oftheintubatedand patients who were beingprone. There was insufficient practice about ventilation technique, use ofsupraglotticdevices, and intubation barriers. There was a positive correlation between adequate knowledge and good practice. ConclusionEmergency HCW have adequate knowledge, but poor compliance to the ERC COVID-19 guidelines. Emergency HCW were willing and confident to resuscitate COVID-19 patients, despite fears of nosocomial infection and expectation of poor patients’ prognosis. Ongoing education and trainingprogramsare recommended to improve their knowledge, cultivate a positive attitude, andachievegood compliance with COVID-19 resuscitation guidelines.

COVID-19: An opportunity to combat the burden of poor mental health in Australian workplaces

The COVID-19 pandemic has shone a light on the mental health crisis in our workplaces, exacerbating stresses and strains experienced by workers worldwide, including in Australia. Job-stress related mental health impacts on frontline workers such as emergency responders, healthcare, retail, warehouse distribution and social support workers have emerged as particular concerns.

Acute Pain Management and Perceptions among Emergency Healthcare Workers: Feedback from Greece.

Pain remains the most common reason patients seek assistance in emergency rooms. However, the level of pain management during emergencies, and subsequently during disasters and mass casualty incidents, remainsdisturbing. A cross-sectional study was conducted using a structured anonymous questionnaire among a random sample of doctors working in different tertiary hospitals of Athens and of rural regions. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics and statistical significance tests via R-Studio, version 1.4.1103. The aforementioned sample yielded101 questionnaires. Results show suboptimal knowledge and attitudes regarding acute pain management among emergency healthcare providers in Greece. The majority of responders are unaware of the term multimodal analgesia (52%), of newer pain treatment methods (59%), they have not attended pain management seminars (84%), nor are they aware of pain treatment protocols in their workplace (74%). Participants appeared to disregard successful pain relief due to time constraints (58%), while leaving certain parts of the population (children under 3 years of age -75%, pregnant women-48%) significantly undertreated in terms of analgesia. Demographic correlations showed that clinical experience and pain management education were associated with older and more experienced emergency healthcare workers. Specialties with a previous core training containing pain education (anaesthesiologists, emergency physicians) again showed better results in the majority of the questions. Educational programs/seminars along with standardised algorithms should be developed in order to cover existing needs and misconceptions.

Intravenous medication errors in the emergency department, knowledge, tendency to make errors and affecting factors: An observational study

BackgroundIntravenous medication errors are common in hospital settings particularly emergency department. This study aimed to determine intravenous medication preparation and administration errors, contributing factors, tendency towards making errors and knowledge level of emergency department healthcare workers. MethodsA cross-sectional study using a structured, direct observation method was conducted. It was conducted with 23 emergency healthcare workers working in the emergency department of a university hospital in Turkey. Data were collected by questionnaires: Knowledge Test on Intravenous Medication Administration, Intravenous Drug Administration Standard Observation Form, Drug and Transfusion Administration Sub-Dimension scale, Perceived Stress Scale and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. ResultsIt was determined that the knowledge level of the emergency healthcare workers about intravenous medication administration was moderate, and the tendency mistakes regarding drug and transfusion applications was very low. There was no relationship between education level, years of work, years of work in the emergency department, perceived stress level and sleep quality, and the tendency of making mistakes in drug and transfusion applications. ConclusionIt is important for patient safety to prevent medication errors by determining the factors affecting intravenous medication administration, tendency to make mistakes and knowledge levels, which are frequently used in emergency department.

Is Team Resilience More Than the Sum of Its Parts? A Quantitative Study on Emergency Healthcare Teams during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, emergency healthcare workers have come under even more pressure than before, threatening the workers’ mental health and the continuity of care delivered by their teams. This study aims to investigate what conditions increase individual and team resilience, referring to the ability to “bounce back” from stressful situations. We also assess whether team resilience is the sum of the individual resilience of team members, or whether other conditions enhance team resilience and thus continuity of care, despite limited individual resilience. We collected survey data from 129 emergency healthcare team members in the Netherlands to examine to what extent transformational leadership and team familiarity influence the level of team resilience, either directly or mediated by individual resilience, accounting for psychological characteristics and social support. The results show two distinct pathways to enhance team resilience, directly by familiarizing team members with each other and by mobilizing family support, and indirectly but with a much weaker effect, by encouraging team members’ individual resilience through transformational leadership and staffing optimistic team members with high levels of self-efficacy.