Workplace barriers experienced by nurses in a tertiary level hospital during COVID-19 pandemic

Authors

  • Mina Akter National Institute of Cancer Research and Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh
  • M. Ali Reza Mondol General Hospital, Gaibandha, Bangladesh
  • Hafiza Sultana Department of Health Education, National Institute of Preventive and Social Medicine, Dhaka, Bangladesh

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20231042

Keywords:

Workplace, Barrier, Pandemic, COVID, Nurse, Knowledge

Abstract

Background: Nurses as frontline workers are experiencing barriers while discharging their duties. So, identifying workplace barriers experienced by nurses during COVID-19 is important because they are the most vital component of medical care. The present study aimed to identify the workplace barriers experienced by nurses in a tertiary-level hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: This descriptive type of cross-sectional study was conducted among 200 nurses who were working in the non-COVID unit at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Dhaka. Sampling was done by convenience sampling method. A semi-structured questionnaire was administered to the respondents to obtain information. Data were collected through a face-to-face interview.

Results: The study found that 83% of respondents were females, and the mean age was 31.8±5.5. 52.5% completed a diploma in nursing, 61.5% of their working experience was 1-5 years, and 53% were working in the inpatient department. The major barriers identified were lack of guidelines, shortage of PPE, inadequate training coverage, lack of area for doffing and donning, and inadequate social distancing. Statistical analysis showed that different departments of work had a significant association (p<0.05) with inadequate training coverage.

Conclusions: The barriers identified in this study should be overcome to improve nurses’ experiences in the workplace and in turn the quality of patient care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

References

Asemahagn MA. Factors determining the knowledge and prevention practice of healthcare workers towards COVID-19 in Amhara region, Ethiopia:a cross-sectional survey. Trop Med Health. 2020;48:72.

Nyashanu M, Pfende F, Ekpenyong M. Exploring the challenges faced by frontline workers in health and social care amid the COVID-19 pandemic: experiences of frontline workers in the English Midlands region, UK. J Interprof Care. 2020;34(5):655-61.

World Health Organization. WHO Director-General's opening remarks at the media briefing on COVID-19 11 March 2020. Available at: https://www.who.int/dg/speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-the-media-briefing-on-covid-19---11march. Accessed on 10 February 2023.

Hope K, Massey PD, Osbourn M, Durrheim DN, Kewley CD, Turner C. Senior clinical nurses effectively contribute to the pandemic influenza public health response. Aust J Adv Nurs. 2011;28(3):47-53.

Liu Q, Luo D, Haase JE, Guo Q, Wang XQ, Liu S, et al. The experiences of health-care providers during the COVID-19 crisis in China: a qualitative study. The Lancet Global Health. 2020;8:790-8.

Huang L, rong Liu H. Emotional responses and coping strategies of nurses and nursing college students during COVID-19 outbreak. MedRxiv. 2020.

Ulrich CM, Rushton CH, Grady C. Nurses confronting the coronavirus: Challenges met and lessons learned to date. Nurs Outlook. 2020;68(6):838844.

Yin X, Zeng L. A study on the psychological needs of nurses caring for patients with coronavirus disease 2019 from the perspective of the existence, relatedness, and growth theory. Int Nurs Sci. 2020;7(2):157-60.

Mantovani C. Over 90,000 health workers infected with COVID-19 worldwide: nurses group. Reuters. 2020. Available at: https://www.reuters. com/article/us-health-coronavirus-nurses-idUSKBN22I1XH. Accessed on 10 February 2023.

Sethi A, Aamir HS, Sethi BA, Ghani N, Saboor S. Impact on Frontline Nurses in the Fight Against Coronavirus Disease.Annals KEMU. 2020;26:120-5.

Muller MP, Carter E, Siddiqui N, Larson E. Hand Hygiene Compliance in an Emergency Department: The Effect of Crowding. Acad Emerg Med. 2015;22(10):1218-21.

Jackson D, Bradbury‐Jones C, Baptiste D, Gelling L, Morin K, Neville S, Smith GD. Life in the pandemic: Some reflections on nursing in the context of COVID‐19. J Clin Nurs. 2020.

Thobaity A, Alshammari F. Nurses on the frontline against the COVID-19 Pandemic. Dubai Med J. 2020;3:87-92.

Etafa W, Argaw Z, Gemechu E, Melese B. Nurses’ attitude and perceived barriers to pressure ulcer prevention. BMC Nursing. 2018;17(1):1-8.

Jin Z, Luo L, Lei X, Zhou W, Wang Z, Yi L, Liu N. Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Nurses Towards the Prevention and Control of COVID-19. Research Square. 2020.

Maame Kissiwaa Amoah V, Anokye R, Boakye DS, Gyamfi N. Perceived barriers to effective therapeutic communication among nurses and patients at Kumasi South Hospital. Cogent Medicine. 2018;5(1):1459341.

Saqlain M, Munir MM, Rehman SU, Gulzar A, Naz S, Ahmed Z, Tahir AH, Mashhood M. Knowledge, attitude, practice and perceived barriers among healthcare workers regarding COVID-19: a cross-sectional survey from Pakistan. J Hospital Infect. 2020;105(3):419-23.

Downloads

Published

2023-04-12

How to Cite

Mina Akter, M. Ali Reza Mondol, & Hafiza Sultana. (2023). Workplace barriers experienced by nurses in a tertiary level hospital during COVID-19 pandemic. International Journal Of Community Medicine And Public Health, 10(5), 1720–1725. https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20231042

Issue

Section

Original Research Articles