COVID-19 Impacts on Social Work and Nursing Now and into the Future: National Administration Plans.
About: This article is published in Health & Social Work.The article was published on 2021-08-05 and is currently open access. It has received 3 citations till now. The article focuses on the topics: Social work.
Citations
More filters
TL;DR: In this article , the authors evaluated burnout in intensive care unit nurses and described the relationship between burnout dimensions and sociodemographic and professional variables, finding that high levels of burnout were associated with emotional exhaustion and personal fulfilment.
1 citations
TL;DR: In this article , the authors explored urban social workers' experiences working the front lines during COVID-19's first wave and found that the frequency and intensity of these moments were exacerbated by organizational and policy responses, when social workers were expected to work outside their scope of practice, when their skills were overlooked or underutilized, and when their organizational contexts focused on individual distress rather than collective support.
Abstract: This study explores urban social workers’ experiences working the front lines during COVID-19’s first wave. It aims to uncover social workers’ shifts in roles and responsibilities across the health and social service network, to illuminate how these shifts impacted them, and ultimately to derive meaning from these experiences to inform future directions for the profession. Eight social workers from a range of contexts were interviewed. Our analyses revealed that, while all participants described some negatives of front-line pandemic work, the frequency and intensity of these moments were exacerbated by organizational and policy responses. When social workers were expected to work outside of their scope of practice, when their skills were overlooked or underutilized, and when their organizational contexts focused on individual distress rather than collective support, they reported intensified periods of distress. If we hope to retain the health and wellbeing of our workforce and preserve the value of the profession, systemic preventative responses must take priority. Building opportunities for collective on-going peer support and debriefing, leveraging the expertise of social workers to address psychosocial issues, and including the voices of front-line workers in the development of solutions to pandemic-related hardships may help reduce social work distress and improve front-line workers’ responses to social issues.
1 citations
TL;DR: In this article , a review of the role of philosophical and spiritual worldviews in the resilience of social work and human services professionals is presented, and the authors recommend that future research investigate whether engaging with the strength found in these worldviews promotes resilience of these professionals.
Abstract: ABSTRACT The objective of this scoping literature review is to investigate: what is known about the connection between philosophical and spiritual worldviews and professional resilience in frontline social work and human services? Resilience is essential to these professionals sustaining practice during difficult times, and philosophical and spiritual worldviews are recognized as providing comfort and helping people function. The review showed that little is known about the role of philosophical and spiritual worldviews in the resilience of these professionals. We recommend that future research investigate whether engaging with the strength found in philosophical and spiritual worldviews promotes the resilience of these professionals.
References
More filters
02 Mar 2020
TL;DR: Among Chinese health care workers exposed to COVID-19, women, nurses, those in Wuhan, and front-line health care Workers have a high risk of developing unfavorable mental health outcomes and may need psychological support or interventions.
Abstract: Importance Health care workers exposed to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) could be psychologically stressed. Objective To assess the magnitude of mental health outcomes and associated factors among health care workers treating patients exposed to COVID-19 in China. Design, Settings, and Participants This cross-sectional, survey-based, region-stratified study collected demographic data and mental health measurements from 1257 health care workers in 34 hospitals from January 29, 2020, to February 3, 2020, in China. Health care workers in hospitals equipped with fever clinics or wards for patients with COVID-19 were eligible. Main Outcomes and Measures The degree of symptoms of depression, anxiety, insomnia, and distress was assessed by the Chinese versions of the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire, the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale, the 7-item Insomnia Severity Index, and the 22-item Impact of Event Scale–Revised, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with mental health outcomes. Results A total of 1257 of 1830 contacted individuals completed the survey, with a participation rate of 68.7%. A total of 813 (64.7%) were aged 26 to 40 years, and 964 (76.7%) were women. Of all participants, 764 (60.8%) were nurses, and 493 (39.2%) were physicians; 760 (60.5%) worked in hospitals in Wuhan, and 522 (41.5%) were frontline health care workers. A considerable proportion of participants reported symptoms of depression (634 [50.4%]), anxiety (560 [44.6%]), insomnia (427 [34.0%]), and distress (899 [71.5%]). Nurses, women, frontline health care workers, and those working in Wuhan, China, reported more severe degrees of all measurements of mental health symptoms than other health care workers (eg, median [IQR] Patient Health Questionnaire scores among physicians vs nurses: 4.0 [1.0-7.0] vs 5.0 [2.0-8.0];P = .007; median [interquartile range {IQR}] Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale scores among men vs women: 2.0 [0-6.0] vs 4.0 [1.0-7.0];P Conclusions and Relevance In this survey of heath care workers in hospitals equipped with fever clinics or wards for patients with COVID-19 in Wuhan and other regions in China, participants reported experiencing psychological burden, especially nurses, women, those in Wuhan, and frontline health care workers directly engaged in the diagnosis, treatment, and care for patients with COVID-19.
5,157 citations
TL;DR: Improving the U.S. health care system requires simultaneous pursuit of three aims: improving the experience of care, improving the health of populations, and reducing per capita costs of health care.
Abstract: Improving the U.S. health care system requires simultaneous pursuit of three aims: improving the experience of care, improving the health of populations, and reducing per capita costs of health car...
4,276 citations
TL;DR: This article defined job burnout as a prolonged response to chronic emotional and interpersonal stressors on the job and defined it by the three dimensions of exhaustion, cynicism, and sense of inefficacy.
Abstract: Job burnout is a prolonged response to chronic emotional and interpersonal stressors on the job and is defined here by the three dimensions of exhaustion, cynicism, and sense of inefficacy. Its presence as a social problem in many human services professions was the impetus for the research that is now taking place in many countries. That research has established the complexity of the problem and has examined the individual stress experience within a larger social and organizational context of people's response to their work. The framework, which focuses attention on the interpersonal dynamics between the worker and other people in the workplace, has yielded new insights into the sources of stress, but effective interventions have yet to be developed and evaluated.
2,636 citations
TL;DR: It is recommended that the Triple Aim be expanded to a Quadruple Aim, adding the goal of improving the work life of health care providers, including clinicians and staff.
Abstract: The Triple Aim—enhancing patient experience, improving population health, and reducing costs—is widely accepted as a compass to optimize health system per- formance. Yet physicians and other members of the health care workforce report widespread burnout and dissatisfaction. Burnout is associated with lower patient satisfaction, reduced health outcomes, and it may increase costs. Burnout thus imperils the Triple Aim. This article recommends that the Triple Aim be expanded to a Quadruple Aim, adding the goal of improving the work life of health care providers, including clinicians and staff.
2,260 citations
TL;DR: The proportion of respondents showing depression, anxiety, and/or suicidal thoughts is alarming and these concerns need to be further understood and addressed.
Abstract: Background: Evidence suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic has generally increased levels of stress and depression among the public. However, the impact on college students in the United States has not been well-documented.
Objective: This paper surveys the mental health status and severity of depression and anxiety of college students in a large university system in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods: An online survey was conducted among undergraduate and graduate students recruited from Texas A&M University via email. The survey consisted of two standardized scales—the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and the General Anxiety Disorder-7—for depression and anxiety, and additional multiple-choice and open-ended questions regarding stressors and coping mechanisms specific to COVID-19.
Results: Among the 2031 participants, 48.14% (n=960) showed a moderate-to-severe level of depression, 38.48% (n=775) showed a moderate-to-severe level of anxiety, and 18.04% (n=366) had suicidal thoughts. A majority of participants (n=1443, 71.26%) indicated that their stress/anxiety levels had increased during the pandemic. Less than half of the participants (n=882, 43.25%) indicated that they were able to cope adequately with the stress related to the current situation.
Conclusions: The proportion of respondents showing depression, anxiety, and/or suicidal thoughts is alarming. Respondents reported academic-, health-, and lifestyle-related concerns caused by the pandemic. Given the unexpected length and severity of the outbreak, these concerns need to be further understood and addressed.
718 citations