Hospital Healthcare Workers Research Articles

Negative representations of night-shift work and mental health of public hospital healthcare workers in the COVID-19 era (Aladdin survey)

BackgroundMany risk factors impact the health of hospital night workers, which can lead to physical and mental health disorders. During the recent period, night hospital workers have been particularly stressed. This study therefore aims to: (i) To document the prevalence of depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, and symptoms suggestive of post-traumatic stress disorder in night shift workers (NSHW) working in Parisian public hospitals after France’s first COVID-19 wave ended; (ii) To estimate the effect of negative representations and perceptions of night shift work on these mental health outcomes.MethodsAn observational cross-sectional online survey of NSHW (June to September 2020) in 39 public hospitals in Paris, France. Standard scales were used to measure mental health outcomes. Weighted multinomial logistic regression models supported the identification of predictors of depression (score > 10 on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, HADS, for depression), anxiety (score > 10 on the HADS for anxiety), severe insomnia (score > 21 on the Insomnia Severity Index, ISI) and symptoms suggestive of post-traumatic stress disorder (score > 36 on the Impact of Event Scale-Revised, IES-R).ResultsThe weighted prevalence rates [95% confidence interval] of depression, anxiety, severe insomnia, and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder were, respectively, 18.9% [16.5–21.2], 7.6% [6.0–9.1], 8.6% [6.9–10.2] and 11.7% [9.7–13.6]. After multiple adjustment, organizational changes in NSHW professional lives due to the COVID-19 pandemic (such as moving to another hospital department and modified schedules) and NSHW-perceived negative representations of night work were significantly associated with all studied mental health outcomes.ConclusionOur findings confirm the importance of monitoring mental health and sleep quality among NSHW in Parisian public hospitals, even more during health crises. Multilevel interventions aiming at reducing negative representations and improving work organization are urgently needed to improve overall health of this frontline healthcare providers group.

Understanding the relationship between the public sector healthcare workers and NGO-based HIV counsellors while providing HIV counselling and testing services to pregnant women: A Qualitative Study in Suva, Fiji

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) counselling and testing plays a significant role in the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV. HIV counselling and testing during pregnancy is an essential gateway for HIV prevention, timely treatment, and care services. Lack of proper counselling could jeopardise the quality of services. This paper aims to understand the relationship between the government employed hospital healthcare workers and the Non-Governmental Organisation based counsellors while providing HIV counselling and testing services to pregnant women attending antenatal clinic in one of the main hospitals in Suva, Fiji. Data were collected via individual, in-depth, interviews held in a single hospital and an associated reproductive health centre in Suva in April-May 2013. A total of 15 healthcare providers including doctors (n = 4), midwives (n = 5), nurses (n = 4), and counsellors (n = 2) were interviewed. The data were analysed using thematic analysis. Ethical approvals were obtained.We found that there was tension between the government employed hospital healthcare workers and the Non-Governmental Organisation based counsellors involved in the provision of HIV counselling and testing services to pregnant women. The predominant causes of tension were poor referral for HIV test counselling, long counselling time, lack of cooperation and conflict due to the differences in counselling approaches.Tension between the government employed hospital healthcare workers and the Non- Governmental Organisation based HIV counsellors appear to be the main challenge to effective provision of HIV test counselling services in the hospital. Ongoing tension between both groups could restrict healthcare workers abilities to provide quality HIV counselling services. Our findings would be useful in developing strategies to overcome tension amongst healthcare workers as it would be an imperative step in providing streamlined HIV counselling services to women attending antenatal clinic in Fiji.

Mental Health Status of Healthcare Workers During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic: A Survey of Hospitals in Shiraz, Iran

Background:Healthcare workers (HCWs) directly or indirectly involved in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) treatment process may experience severe mental consequences of the pandemic. Hence, this study aimed to evaluate the mental health status of HCWs in hospitals affiliated with Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Iran. Materials and Method:This cross-sectional study was performed on 503 HCWs from five hospitals in Shiraz, including one COVID-19 front-line hospital, two COVID-19 second-line hospitals, and two without COVID-19 wards. Then, to assess the levels of anxiety, depression, insomnia, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among HCWs, the Persian versions of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), and Global Psychotrauma Screen (GPS) questionnaires were placed, respectively. Results:The mean age of participants was 33.94±8.26 years, and 252 (50.1%) were females. Anxiety, depression, insomnia, and moderate to high levels of PTSD were observed in 40.4%, 37.8%, 24.5%, and 71% of participants, respectively. A history of mental disorders was associated with all four outcomes (P<0.05). Females gender and living with elderly and/or children were correlated with anxiety and PTSD (P<0.05). Working at COVID-19 front- and second-line hospitals were similarly linked to higher insomnia and PTSD levels (P<0.05). Also, working in COVID-19 wards or non-clinical settings was associated with anxiety and depression (P<0.05). Conclusion:Most of the HCWs in this study may experience mental difficulties. Some factors may increase their risk of experiencing these difficulties. Hence, in the crisis era, mental health monitoring and identification of groups with predisposing factors are required to provide appropriate care as quickly as feasible.

Factors associated with burnout among hospital-based healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional CRACoV-HHS study.

To assess the prevalence of burnout and associated factors among healthcare workers (HCWs) working in a hospital admitting patients with COVID-19. Burnout among HCWs is related to age, gender and occupation. However, little is known about organisational factors associated with burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional study of 1412 hospital HCWs (748 nurses) was carried out via online survey during the COVID-19 pandemic between 4 and 19 January 2021. The Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey, the Checklist Individual Strength questionnaire, the interRAI items covering mental health, the WHO questionnaire items assessing HCWs' preparedness and exposure to SARS-CoV-2 were used. Univariable and multivariable linear regression analyses were conducted to clarify factors associated with emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalisation (DP) and personal accomplishment (PA). This study adheres to the STROBE guidelines. Burnout prevalence varied from 10.0% to 22.0%. Most respondents (83.6%) reported low PA, 22.9% high EE and 18.7% high DP. Nurses and physicians had the highest levels of EE and DP. Staff exposed or uncertain if exposed to contaminated patients' body fluids and materials had higher levels of burnout. Preparedness (training) (b=1.15; 95%CI 0.26 to 2.05) and adherence to infection prevention and control procedures (b=1.57; 95%CI 0.67 to 2.47) were associated with higher PA, and accessibility of personal protective equipment (PPE) (b=-1.37; 95%CI -2.17 to -0.47) was related to lower EE. HCWs working in wards for patients with COVID-19 reported lower EE (b=-1.39; 95%CI -2.45 to -0.32). HCWs who contracted COVID-19 reported lower DP (b=-0.71, 95%CI -1.30 to -0.12). Organisational factors such as better access to PPE, training, and adherence to infection prevention and control procedures were associated with a lower level of burnout. Healthcare managers should promote strategies to reduce burnout among HCWs with regard to preparedness of all staff.

Wellbeing and mental health outcomes amongst hospital healthcare workers during COVID-19.

Global healthcare systems have been particularly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Healthcare workers (HCWs) are widely reported to have experiencedincreased levels of baseline psychological distress relative to the general population, and the COVID-19 pandemic may have had an additive effect. However, previous studies are typically restricted to physicians and nurses with limited data available on hospital HCWs. We aimed to conduct a cross-sectional, psychological evaluation of Irish HCWs during COVID-19. HCWs across five adult acute level-4 Dublin-based hospitals completed an online survey of wellbeing and COVID-19 experience. There were 1898 HCWs who commenced the survey representing 10% of the total employee base. The sample comprised nurses (33%), doctors (21%), Health and Social Care Professionals (HSCPs) (24%) and 'Other' disciplines (22%), and 81% identified as female. Clinical levels of depression, anxiety and PTSD symptoms were endorsed by 31%, 34% and 28% of respondents, respectively. Professional grouping effects included: nurses reporting significantly greater levels of COVID-19 exposure, infection, COVID-fear, moral injury, and post-traumatic distress; HSCPs were significantly less likely to report mood dysfunction. In terms of gender, males were significantly less likely to report negative pandemic experiences, low resilience, and significantly more likely to endorse 'minimal' depression, anxiety, and traumatic distress. Logistic regression modelling revealed mental health outcomes (depression, anxiety and PTSD symptoms) were associated with increased frontline exposure, fewer career years' experience, elevated pre-pandemic stress, and female gender. To our knowledge, this is the largest evaluation of psychological wellbeing amongst HCWs in acute hospitals in the Dublin region. Our findings have implications for healthcare workforce wellbeing and future service delivery.

Awareness and Accessibility of library resources for enhanced service-delivery of healthcare workers in government tertiary hospitals in Abuja, Nigeria

The study titled awareness and accessibility of library resources for enhanced service delivery of healthcare workers in government tertiary Hospitals was carried out to establish the frequency of access to available library resources by healthcare workers for enhanced service delivery in government tertiary hospitals in Abuja-Nigeria; determine how awareness of library resources has influenced service delivery of healthcare workers in government tertiary hospitals in Abuja- Nigeria; The respondents are healthcare workers in the categories of doctors; nurses; medical laboratory scientists and pharmacists. A descriptive research design was adopted with the use of Questionnaires to elicit information from the healthcare workers. The numbers of the questionnaire distributed are 353; the numbers retrieved are 333. The study concludes that there is a link between awareness and access to library resources and enhance service delivery by healthcare workers. The influence of accessing library resources on healthcare service delivery of healthcare workers is attributable to healthcare workers’ awareness of the relevance of library resources.

Availability and utilization of library resources for enhanced service-delivery of healthcare workers in government tertiary hospitals, Abuja Nigeria

The study titled availability and utilization of library information resources for enhanced service delivery of healthcare workers in government tertiary hospital in Abuja- Nigeria was carried out to ascertain the library resources for healthcare workers’ service-delivery enhancement in tertiary hospital Abuja, Nigeria; to investigate if the healthcare workers service delivery is enhanced through using those resources; the problem envisaged by healthcare workers in accessing and using the library resources and possible solutions. The respondents are healthcare workers in the categories of doctors; nurses; medical laboratory scientists and pharmacists. A descriptive research design was adopted with the use of Questionnaires to elicit information from the healthcare workers. The objective of the study was to investigate information resources availability and utilization for the enhancement of the healthcare workers’ service delivery in the hospitals under study. The numbers of the questionnaire distributed are 353; the numbers retrieved are 333. The major findings are limited numbers of relevant library information resources both in print and electronically. Poor internet connectivity and lack of computers, also an epileptic power supply, and a lack of seasoned personnel to pilot library activities. The study recommended – improvement in the provision of current and enough health information resources; librarians to involve healthcare workers in making requisitions in order to avoid irrelevant resources; management of the hospital to vote more funds to the library for the subscription of e-resources in good time

Assessment of myofascial pain syndrome among married female healthcare workers: a cross sectional comparative study in a tertiary care centre

Background: Myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) is common among females between ages 20-40 years. Psychosomatic and mechanical reasons are attributed as causative factors. Female health care workers (FHW) in hospitals with rapid patient turn over are vulnerable to develop MPS. Our aim was to ascertain the prevalence of MPS in married FHW working in various departments of the hospital and its association with poor sleep and work stress. Methods: We selected married FHWs in 20-50 years age group and divided them into two groups, medical and paramedical (those involved directly and indirectly with patient care respectively). MPS was diagnosed after detailed personal interview and clinical examination. Sleep duration was divided into less than 5 hours and more than 5hours. Presence of work-related stress and other medical parameters were also recorded. Results: A total of 150 medical and 150 paramedical FHWs were included in the study. Overall prevalence of MPS among FHWs was 42%, of which, medical group was 32% and paramedical was 52%. The paramedical group showed significantly higher prevalence of MPS (p: 0.02). Sleep was less than 5 hours in 29.3% of medical FHW and 13.3% of paramedical. This difference didn’t show any association to MPS (p=0.8). 38% FHW perceived excessive work stress, 40% were paramedical and 36% were medical. This didn’t correlate with prevalence of MPS (p=0.2) among them. Conclusions: Paramedical FHW experienced more MPS than medical and it was more of mechanical type and not due to work stress or sleep deprivation.

Examining operational efficiency with prudent risks of Covid-19: a contextual DEA analysis with an undesirable intermediate measure.

In the wake of the losses of human lives and disruption to the world economy caused by the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has become imperative to assess the effectiveness of containment strategies adopted by countries. The success of any containment strategy of achieving low mortality and high recovery rate depends on the efficient utilization of available but limited resources, such as number of hospital beds and healthcare workers. While the spreading pattern of the pandemic has been researched heavily, there is limited research that comprehensively focuses on the efficient utilization of available resources to achieve the desired aims of low mortality and high recovery. In order to close this research gap, we employ a two-stage network data envelopment analysis (DEA) to identify the inefficiency in the process and resolve the resource constraints by considering medical and non-medical (administrative) interventions as two serial stages. The number of infected people is treated as the intermediate product, which is an undesirable output of the first stage and subsequently enters the second stage as an input. This network DEA model successfully addresses the conflict between the two stages over the handling of infected people and assesses the vulnerabilities of the countries against the transmission rates of the disease in the respective countries. Thus, the objective of this study is to develop a well-coordinated plan for different government agencies to jointly mitigate the risk under constrained resources. The findings reveal that almost of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries have used their resources suboptimally and are producing, on average, almost half the amount of the maximum possible outputs. As a sizeable amount of inefficiency can be explained by varying economic and demographic factors, such as health expenditure and the proportion of the aged population, the efficiency evaluation has been revisited with adjustments for unfavorable externalities. The analysis and its implications can help policymakers formulate optimal resource plans and identify potential areas for improvement.

Psychosocial crisis intervention for coronavirus disease 2019 patients and healthcare workers.

Shelter hospital was an alternative way to provide large-scale medical isolation and treatment for people with mild coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Due to various reasons, patients admitted to the large shelter hospital was reported high level of psychological distress, so did the healthcare workers. This study aims to introduce a comprehensive and multifaceted psychosocial crisis intervention model. The psychosocial crisis intervention model was provided to 200 patients and 240 healthcare workers in Wuhan Wuchang shelter hospital. Patient volunteers and organized peer support, client-centered culturally sensitive supportive care, timely delivery of scientific information about COVID-19 and its complications, mental health knowledge acquisition of non-psychiatric healthcare workers, group activities, counseling and education, virtualization of psychological intervention, consultation and liaison were exhibited respectively in the model. Pre-service survey was done in 38 patients and 49 healthcare workers using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) scale, the Patient Health Questionnaire 2-item (PHQ-2) scale, and the Primary Care PTSD screen for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (PC-PTSD-5). Forty-eight healthcare workers gave feedback after the intervention. The psychosocial crisis intervention model was successfully implemented by 10 mental health professionals and was well-accepted by both patients and healthcare workers in the shelter hospital. In pre-service survey, 15.8% of 38 patients were with anxiety, 55.3% were with stress, and 15.8% were with depression; 16.3% of 49 healthcare workers were with anxiety, 26.5% were with stress, and 22.4% were with depression. In post-service survey, 62.5% of 48 healthcare workers thought it was very practical, 37.5% thought more practical; 37.5% of them thought it was very helpful to relief anxiety and insomnia, and 27.1% thought much helpful; 37.5% of them thought it was very helpful to recognize patients with anxiety and insomnia, and 29.2% thought much helpful; 35.4% of them thought it was very helpful to deal with patients' anxiety and insomnia, and 37.5% thought much helpful. Psychological crisis intervention is feasible, acceptable, and associated with positive outcomes. Future tastings of this model in larger population and different settings are warranted.

Assessment of Adverse events following Immunization of COVID – 19 vaccination in Health Care Workers (HCWs) of Shaheed Hasan Khan Mewati Govt. Medical College Nalhar, Nuh, Haryana, India

Background: We assess the profile of adverse events following immunization of COVID – 19 vaccination of COVISHIELD in health care workers (HCWs) in Shaheed Hasan Khan Mewati Govt. Medical college Nalhar, Nuh, Haryana, India. Methods: The Cross sectional and prospective observational study was conducted with a period of 3 months or till the desired sample size recruited in the study with follow up period of 15 days for all those subjects who were vaccinated for covid-19 in SHKM, GMC Hospital to look for AEFI with sample size more than 300. Active surveillance was done on days 3, 6 and 9 after days of vaccination for AEFI). Any AEFI noted will be managed as per the standard guidelines. Results: We present the results of an interim analysis of 400 patients out of total 550 participants with 244(61.00%) male and 156 (39.00%) female participants respectively. AEFIs following first dose were reported in 400 participants and 269 participants after second dose. Fever was the major AEFI with 150(37.50%) after first dose and 78(28.99%) after second dose respectively. In the study age wise AEFIs percentage of participants were also calculated. In the present study different systemic diseases percentage also calculated. Conclusion: The AEFIs associated with the COVISHIELD (ChAdOx1 nCoV-19), the COVID-19 vaccine injected in hospital health care workers is found to be safe for use in except for a few minor reactions.

Risk of Repeated Adverse Effects following Booster Dose of mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine: Results from the MOSAICO Study.

The successful deployment of safe and effective vaccines against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been crucial in reducing the global disease burden. Owing to the need for vaccination series over time, continuous observational studies are needed to estimate the COVID-19 vaccine response in real-world conditions. In particular, the detection, assessment, and understanding of adverse effects following immunization (AEFI) with a COVID-19 vaccine are crucial to better address vaccination strategies. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the risk of repeated AEFI post-administration of a booster dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine in a sample of healthcare workers (HCWs) in an Italian teaching hospital. The data on any local and systemic AEFI were studied in multivariate Poisson regression analyses to model the association between the incidence of each postvaccination symptom and its prior reporting after the administration of the previous doses. Overall, compared with the primary vaccination series, the majority of post-third dose AEFI were less reported. The results from multivariable models showed that the likelihood of reporting an AEFI after the third dose was higher in those who experienced the same postvaccination symptom after the second dose (all AEFI except for itch at injection site) and, although not significant for all AEFI, after the first dose. Any associations with age, gender, smoking habits, previous SARS-CoV-2 infection and other characteristics, as well as the health impact of AEFI were also assessed. Taken together, the results from this research support reframe AEFI symptoms as signals of a robust postvaccination reaction as well as of common vaccine response, and they add important data to inform booster vaccination strategies in HCWs and, extensively, in the adult population.

UPTAKE AND COMPLETION RATES OF HEPATITIS B VACCINATION AMONG HEALTH CARE WORKERS AT A REFERRAL HOSPITAL IN UYO, AKWA IBOM STATE

Health care workers are four times more likely to contract hepatitis B infection. Thus, the hepatitis B vaccination is recommended as a preventive measure to protect health workers. This study determined the uptake and completion of hepatitis B vaccination among health workers and the factors associated with vaccination uptake and completion in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. The study was a descriptive, cross-sectional design, carried out in 2021 among all cadres of health workers at the only tertiary/referral hospital in Uyo, the capital of Akwa Ibom State. A pretested, semi-structured, self-administered questionnaire was completed by health workers that consented on information relating to socio-demographic data, vaccination history, knowledge of hepatitis B vaccine and infection, and risk perception of hepatitis B infection. These were analyzed in SPSS version 20 as means and proportions with 95% Confidence Intervals. Chi-square test for Independence was used to examine association between variables at a P-value set at 0.05. Of the 281 study participants, females were 158 (56.2%) and 123 (43.8%), males; mean age was 37.4±8.5 years. Less than half, 132 (47.0%) had received at least one dose of hepatitis B vaccine. Of the 129 that had ever been vaccinated, 31(24%) had fully been vaccinated (completed required three doses). Years of practice (P=0.011), education (P<0.01), professional role (P<0.01 and type of staff (P<0.01) were associated with uptake of vaccination. For completion of vaccination, years of practice (P=0.042) and professional role (P<0.01) The study found a low uptake of hepatitis B vaccination, and even lower complete vaccination rates among the health care workers in a tertiary hospital in Uyo. Years of practice and type/professional role of staff were found to influence uptake and completion of vaccination. Given its importance hepatitis B vaccination is advocated to be included as part of the orientation exercise and periodic examination for hospital staff. KEYWORDS: Hepatitis B, Hepatitis B Vaccination, Uptake, Completion Rate, Health Care Workers, Akwa Ibom State Nigeria

Evaluation of COVID-19 Vaccination Rate in Healthcare Workers in a Tertiary Hospital in Mogadishu Somalia: A Cross-sectional Study

Introduction: The percentage of healthcare workers vaccinated against COVID-19 in Somalia remains unknown. Our study's primary aim is to determine the COVID-19 vaccination rate among healthcare workers in a tertiary hospital in Mogadishu, Somalia. Materials and Methods: This questionnaire-based cross-sectional was conducted between September 1st and September 20th, 2021. Results: A total of 210 healthcare workers were included. Among 210 healthcare workers enrolled in the study, 56.2% (n=118) were male. Most (53.8%, n=113) participants were aged between 18 and 27. Most (48.6%, n=102) of all participants were physicians. The COVID-19 vaccination rate of the healthcare workers in Somalia Turkiye Training and Research Hospital was 20% (n=42). Males had a significantly higher vaccination rate than females (26.2 vs. 12%, p<0,05). The most common reasons for not getting vaccinated were fear of potential complications and believing that vaccination would not be protective against the disease. Conclusions: Most healthcare workers were hesitant to be vaccinated despite the availability of the vaccine. This approach exposes physicians and allied health workers to a significant risk of COVID-19. It also obstructs the fight against COVID-19.

Cancer Patients during COVID-19 Pandemic: A Mini-Review.

Since its emergence, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has affected the entire world and all commerce and industries, including healthcare systems. COVID-19 adversely affects cancer patients because they are immunocompromised. Increased COVID-19 infection and shortage of medical supplies, beds and healthcare workers in hospitals affect cancer care. This paper includes a description of the existing research that shows the impact of COVID-19 on the management of cancer patients. Aged people with various chronic conditions such as cancer and comorbidities face more challenges as they have a greater risk of disease severity. COVID-19 has affected care delivery, including patient management, and has been responsible for increased mortality among cancer patients. Cancer patients with severe symptoms require regular therapies and treatment; therefore, they have a higher risk of exposure. Due to the risk of transmission, various steps were taken to combat this disease; however, they have affected the existing operational efficiency. Herein, we present the changing priorities during COVID-19, which also affected cancer care, including delayed diagnosis, treatment, and surgeries.

Long-term impact of COVID-19 on cardiovascular health of healthcare workers of a tertiary care hospital of Bangladesh

Background: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a multisystem disease that sometimes affects the cardiovascular system (CVS) during acute illness and follows a protracted course in a proportion of patients causing ‘post-COVID syndrome’. Exercise tolerance test (ETT) can assess functional capacity and imaging modalities like echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) can assess structural and functional status of cardiovascular system (CVS) efficiently. However, the pattern of cardiovascular involvement and its effect on functional capacity in COVID-19 survivors long after the index illness are inadequately known. This study was carried out to detect the functional status and imaging findings in COVID-19 recovered healthcare workers.
 Methods: This cohort study was carried out in the Department of Cardiology of the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD), Dhaka, Bangladesh from July 2021 to December 2021. Thirty male healthcare workers, previously not known to have any cardiac disease, who suffered from reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)-confirmed COVID-19 of mild severity at least 3 months back were included. Besides clinical evaluation, ETT, echocardiography and CMR were done.
 Results: The mean age was 37.2±4.7 years. The mean time interval from RT-PCR positivity was 317.4±85.7 days. The functional capacity was good in the study subjects; the achieved metabolic equivalents (METs) were 13.0±1.5. The mean left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was 66.9% ± 6.2%; all were within the normal range. The mean LV global longitudinal strain (LVGLS) was -19.2% ± -1.9%; 6 patients had LVGLS <-18%. One patient had mildly reduced tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) of 16 mm but 3 patients had reduced lateral tricuspid annulus peak systolic velocity (RVS’). CMR revealed subtle abnormalities in 14 (46.7%) patients. Eight patients (26.67%) had increased T2 signal indicating myocardial oedema, 2 (6.7%) had subepicardial late gadolinium enhancement (LGE).
 Conclusion: In healthcare workers who recovered from mild COVID-19, despite preserved functional capacity, subclinical cardiac abnormalities detected by echocardiography and CMR may be present. Long-term follow-up is warranted to define the clinical significance of these findings.
 BIRDEM Med J 2023; 13(1): 3-11

Mental Health Outcomes Among Tunisian Health Care Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The pandemic caused by Coronavirus-19 Disease (COVID-19) is having negative effects on healthcare workers (HCW) mental health due to the tremendous amount of stress to which they are exposed to. We aimed to assess the number of mental health outcomes among HCW treating patients with COVID-19. This cross-sectional study collected demographic data and mental health measurements from HCW in different hospitals using an online questionnaire. Participants were asked to complete the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), the 7-item Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), and the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7). One hundred and forty-one participants with a mean age of 30.6±25 years and a sex ratio of 0.3 completed the online questionnaire. Participants from major university-hospital centers of northern Tunisia were divided into two groups: 78% medical and 22% paramedical staff. Twenty-two participants (15.6%) had a chronic disease, and 21 (14.9%) had a history of depression. Nineteen (13.4%) of the participants were infected with COVID-19. Thirteen percent of participants experienced the same anxiety level as the first-time taking care of COVID-19 patients, while 65% were rather an at ease compared to the first time. Forty-seven percent of participants felt the need for psychological support, and 16.7% of them had consulted a psychiatrist. Mild depression was detected in 14.1% of cases, moderate depression in 4.2% of cases, and severe depression in 2.1% of cases. As for anxiety, 36.1% of participants suffered from mild anxiety, 14.9% from moderate anxiety, and 4.9% from severe anxiety. Mild insomnia was detected in 44.6% of cases, moderate insomnia in 14.9% of cases, and severe insomnia in 9.9% of cases. Female gender (depression: P=0.05; anxiety: P=0.05; insomnia: P=0.02), having friends or relatives with COVID (depression: P=0.01; anxiety: P=0.05), psychiatric illness (depression: P=0.05; anxiety: P=0.01; insomnia: P=0.01), and chronic disease (depression: P=0.02; anxiety: P=0.03) were significantly associated with more severe mental health symptoms. Tunisian HCW experienced psychological burdens and a high rate of anxiety, depression, and insomnia. HCW should be protected in order to promote mental well-being.

Factors Influencing the Practices of Health Care Workers on Prevention and Control of Infection at Keetmanshoop District Hospital, Namibia

INTRODUCTION: According to World Health Organisation, prevention and control of infection is a strategy designed to protect both patients and health care workers from infections. Lack of such strategy among health care workers has negative impact such as long-term hospitalization, death, and morbidity. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the practices of health care workers on prevention and control of infection at Keetmanshoop district Hospital.
 
 METHOD: A descriptive correlational cross-sectional study design was employed. Structured questionnaire was used to collect data from participants. Data collected were analysed using SPSS version 27. Multiple regression analysis was used to determine, the factors influencing the practices of health care workers on prevention and control of infection. 
 
 RESULTS: The findings shows that more than 50% of the health care workers in Keetmanshoop district hospital have poor adherence to IPC. However, factors such as demographic characteristics and resources availability do not have any significance influence on the practices of prevention and control of infection. Significance contributing factors effect such as access of IPC resources (β = 0.31), individual health worker practices on IPC (β = 0.31) and practices of IPC at the facility (β = 76). Practices of hand hygiene was found at (β = -0.45) which is the negative effect on adherence. 
 
 CONCLUSION: Therefore, this study concluded that hand hygiene; access of IPC resource and individual practices on prevention and control of infection were the main factors influence poor adherence on IPC at Keetmanshoop hospital.

Healthcare workers’ mental health and perception towards vaccination during COVID-19 pandemic in a Pediatric Cancer Hospital

The consistent increase of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases parallel with the rate of deaths and the controversial response regarding the vaccines caused an increase in the burden of psychological diseases. This study aimed to evaluate the psychological condition of healthcare workers (HCWs) in a pediatric cancer hospital and to identify the knowledge, attitude, and perception (KAP) of HCWs toward COVID-19 vaccination. A cross-sectional observational study was conducted between April to May 2021. A validated, confidential survey was employed to measure the mental health of HCWs and the KAP toward COVID-19 vaccines. The total responses were 395, of which 11.4% physicians, 18.5% pharmacists, and 70.1% were nurses. Sixty-six percent of HCWs had different degrees of anxiety and depression. Nurses significantly accounted for the highest anxiety levels (P = 0.003), while the cumulative anxiety score was significantly higher in HCWs who had a positive history of COVID-19 infection (P = 0.026). Although 67.6% of HCWs believe that “vaccines are essential for us,”, the vaccination rate was 21.3%. The Factors associated with not receiving the vaccine were younger ages (P = 0.014), nurses (P = 3.6987 × 10–7), negative history of COVID-19 infection (P = 0.043) and believing that infections can happen after taking the vaccine (P = 1.5833 × 10–7). Healthcare organizations must take serious intervention to decrease the mental load on HCWs and facilitate the vaccination process.

The Link between Job Embeddedness, Organizational Identification, Job Satisfaction, and Job Performance among Medical Staff in Guangxi Public Hospitals: A Mediation Model Analysis

This paper investigates the impact of job embeddedness on job performance among medical staff in public hospitals. It has been demonstrated that the employment embedding is positively related to the work performance and the context performance of the public hospital. It is discovered that organization identity and job satisfaction partly mediate the relation of employment embedding and work performance, but demand orientation has a positive effect on the relation between employment embedded and work satisfaction. The results offer an insight into how to improve the work performance of health care workers in public hospitals, emphasizing the significance of embedded work and its dimensions, and the mediation and adjustment factors affecting it. The research provides some beneficial tactics for maintaining and improving the performance of health care workers in public hospitals.