scholarly journals To Volunteer or Not? Perspectives towards Pre-Registered Nursing Students Volunteering Frontline during COVID-19 Pandemic to Ease Healthcare Workforce: A Qualitative Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (12) ◽  
pp. 6668
Author(s):  
Betsy Seah ◽  
Ben Ho ◽  
Sok Ying Liaw ◽  
Emily Neo Kim Ang ◽  
Siew Tiang Lau
Keyword(s):  
Nursing Students ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Professional Identity ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Strategic Partnerships ◽  
Healthcare Workforce ◽  
Student Volunteer ◽  
Operational Processes

COVID-19 has caused a shortage of healthcare workers and has strained healthcare systems globally. Pre-registered healthcare students with training have a duty of care and can support the healthcare workforce. This study explored factors influencing the willingness of final-year nursing students to volunteer during the COVID-19 pandemic, the role of professional identity in volunteering as healthcare workers, and strategies to improve future volunteering uptakes and processes. A qualitative study using focus-group discussions was conducted. Final-year nursing students who volunteered, students who did not volunteer, and lecturers who supervised student volunteers were recruited. Interviews were conducted online, video-recorded, and transcribed verbatim. A thematic analysis was used. The themes were “wavering thoughts on volunteering”, “bringing out ‘the nurse’ in students through volunteering” and “gearing up to volunteer”. Findings suggested the need to look beyond the simplicity of altruism to the role of professional identity, operational, and motivational factors to explain nursing students’ decision to volunteer and their volunteer behavior. Providing accommodation, monetary and academic-related incentives, supporting the transitionary phase from students to “professional volunteers”, promoting cohesive and positive staff–student volunteer relationships, and establishing a volunteer management team are strategies identified to improve volunteering uptake and operational processes. Our findings advocate strategic partnerships between hospitals/communities and academic institutions in providing various healthcare services during pandemics.

scholarly journals Prophylactic role of ivermectin in SARS-CoV-2 infection among healthcare workers

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Priyamadhaba Behera ◽  
Binod Kumar Patro ◽  
Biswa Mohan Padhy ◽  
Prasanta Raghab Mohapatra ◽  
Shakti Kumar Bal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lower Risk ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Absolute Risk ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Absolute Risk Reduction ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Adjusted Relative Risk ◽  
Kaplan Meier

Abstract Background Healthcare workers (HCWs) are vulnerable to getting infected withSARS-CoV-2. Preventing HCWs from getting infected is a priority to maintain healthcare services. The therapeutic and preventive role of ivermectin in COVID-19 is being investigated. Based on promising results of in vitro studies of oral ivermectin, this study was conducted with the aim to demonstrate the prophylactic role of oral ivermectin in preventing SARS-CoV-2 infectionamong HCWs at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bhubaneswar.Methods A prospective cohort study was conducted at AIIMS Bhubaneswar, which provides both COVID and Non-COVID care since March 2020. All employees and students of the institute who provided written informed consent participated in the study.Uptake of two-doses of oral ivermectin (300 μg/kg at a gap of 72 hours) was considered as exposure. The primary outcome of the study was COVID-19 infection in the following month of ivermectin consumption diagnosed by RTPCR as per Government of India testing criteria guidelines.The log-binomial model was used to estimate adjusted relative risk, and the Kaplan-Meier failure plot was used to estimate the probability of COVID-19 infection with follow-up time.Results Of 3892 employees, 3532 (90.8%) participated in the study. The ivermectin uptake was 62.5% and 5.3% for two-doses and single-dose, respectively. Participants who took ivermectin prophylaxis had a lower risk of getting symptoms suggestive of SARS-CoV-2 infection(6% vs 15%). HCWs who had taken two-doses of oral ivermectin have a significantly lower risk of contracting COVID-19 disease during the following month (ARR 0.17; 95% CI, 0.12-0.23). Females had a lower risk of contracting COVID-19 than males (ARR 0.70 95% CI, 0.52-0.93). The absolute risk reduction of SARS-CoV-2 infection was 9.7%. Only 1.8% of the participants reported adverse events, which were mild and self-limiting.Conclusion and relevance Two-doses of oral ivermectin (300 μg/kg given 72 hours apart) as chemoprophylaxis among HCWs reduces the risk of COVID-19 infection by 83% in the following month. Safe, effective, and low-cost chemoprophylaxis have relevance in the containment of pandemic alongside vaccine.

scholarly journals Role of primary healthcare in the response to COVID-19: The Oman experience

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Badria Al Rashidi ◽  
Ahmed H. Al Wahaibi ◽  
Ozayr Mahomed ◽  
Sitwat Usman Langrial ◽  
Salah T. Al Awaidy
Keyword(s):  
Primary Healthcare ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Care Staff ◽  
Outpatient Services ◽  
Efficient Manner ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Rehabilitative Services

Health authorities are focused on swiftly alleviating the spread of COVID-19 infections to support the overburdened healthcare system and reduce the mortality rates associated with the ongoing pandemic. Across Oman, there are 243 primary healthcare (PHC) clinics that act as the first point of contact for providing a comprehensive range of healthcare services. Further, they provide access to more than 30 programs that are delivered by well-trained primary care staff from different categories. PHCs adopted the strategy of providing healthcare services directly related to positive COVID-19 cases, preventing the likely spread of COVID-19 infection among healthcare workers, and reducing the spread of COVID-19 in the community. This review outlines four major challenges that were observed and informally reported by the healthcare workers at PHCs in Oman from January to December 2020. Understanding the nature of these challenges can help health authorities in preparing effectively for any future viral outbreaks and mitigating them in a timely and efficient manner. One of the major challenges faced by PHCs was the reduction in outpatient services from January to December 2020 in comparison with the same time period in the last year. PHCs addressed the main health problems in the community through health promotion, as well as preventive, curative, and rehabilitative services under unusual circumstances. However, there is a need for a modified approach during circumstances such as the COVID-19 pandemic. This will help us cope with possible future viral outbreaks in a better manner.

scholarly journals Healthcare inequities and barriers to access for homeless individuals: a qualitative study in Barcelona (Spain)

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrés Cernadas ◽  
Ángela Fernández
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Universal Access ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Medical Professional ◽  
Homeless Population ◽  
Public Health Services ◽  
Structured Interviews

Abstract Background In Spain, homeless individuals have lower perceived quality of health than the rest of the population and their life expectancy is 30 years lower than the national average. While the Spanish health system provides universal access and coverage, homeless individuals do not access or use public care enough to maintain their health. The objective of this study is to determine if homeless individuals can access public health services in conditions of equality with the rest of the population, as established in healthcare legislation, and to better understand the causes of observed inequalities or inequities of access. Methods A detailed qualitative study was carried out in the city of Barcelona (Spain) from October 2019 to February 2020. A total of nine open and in-depth interviews were done with homeless individuals along with seven semi-structured interviews with key informants and two focus groups. One group was composed of eight individuals who were living on the street at the time and the other consisted of eight individuals working in healthcare and social assistance. Results The participants indicated that homeless individuals tend to only access healthcare services when they are seriously ill or have suffered some kind of injury. Once there, they tend to encounter significant barriers that might be 1) administrative; 2) personal, based on belief that that will be poorly attended, discriminated against, or unable to afford treatment; or 3) medical-professional, when health professionals, who understand the lifestyle of this population and their low follow-through with treatments, tend towards minimalist interventions that lack the dedication they would apply to other groups of patients. Conclusions The conclusions derived from this study convey the infrequent use of health services by homeless individuals for reasons attributable to the population itself, to healthcare workers and to the entire healthcare system. Accordingly, to reduce inequities of access to these services, recommendations to healthcare service providers include adapting facilities to provide more adequate care for this population; increasing sensitivity/awareness among healthcare workers; developing in situ care systems in places where the homeless population is most concentrated; and establishing healthcare collaboration agreements with entities that work with this population.

scholarly journals “I Internalize Islamic Values”: Bachelor Nursing Students’ Perception and Experience of Professional Identity in Indonesia

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (T4) ◽  
pp. 158-166
Author(s):  
Wulan Noviani ◽  
Lisa Musharyanti ◽  
Rangga Putera Anugerah Pratama
Keyword(s):  
Nursing Education ◽  
Nursing Students ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Career Choice ◽  
Professional Identity ◽  
Sense Of Belonging ◽  
Nursing Profession ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Academic Hospitals ◽  
Islamic Values

BACKGROUND: Professional identity is the primary goal of nursing education institutions that shaped professional nurse’s identity. However, final-year bachelor nursing students’ perception and experience of professional identity remain limited to explore. AIM: This study aims to analyze final-year bachelor nursing students’ perception and experience toward professional identity in Indonesia. METHODS: A descriptive qualitative study with a drawing exercise was conducted with a convenience sample of final-year bachelor nursing students to explore how they viewed the nursing profession. Thirteen nursing students were recruited from four academic hospitals of Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta. Data were analyzed thematically using Colaizzi methods and NVivo 12 Plus. RESULTS: The analysis showed five themes identified, namely, “Islamic nurse is my identity,” “I follow Islamic sharia,” “I internalize Islamic values,” “I practice professional roles,” and “I obey professional regulation.” CONCLUSION: Nursing students perceived the identity of Islamic nurses into their identity. Developing a strong professional identity is essential for the students to enhance a sense of belonging and career choice in the nursing profession.

scholarly journals The ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’ of personal protective equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic: the ethics of emerging inequalities amongst healthcare workers

2021 ◽  
pp. medethics-2021-107501
Author(s):  
Clifford Shelton ◽  
Kariem El-Boghdadly ◽  
John B Appleby
Keyword(s):  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Healthcare Setting ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Practical Action ◽  
Ethical Implications ◽  
Healthcare Workforce ◽  
Pandemic Planning ◽  
Operating Theatres

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated inequalities, including among the healthcare workforce. Based on recent literature and drawing on our experiences of working in operating theatres and critical care in the UK’s National Health Service during the pandemic, we review the role of personal protective equipment and consider the ethical implications of its design, availability and provision at a time of unprecedented demand. Several important inequalities have emerged, driven by factors such as individuals purchasing their own personal protective equipment (either out of choice or to address a lack of provision), inconsistencies between guidelines issued by different agencies and organisations, and the standardised design and procurement of equipment required to protect a diverse healthcare workforce. These, we suggest, have resulted largely because of a lack of appropriate pandemic planning and coordination, as well as insufficient appreciation of the significance of equipment design for the healthcare setting. As with many aspects of the pandemic, personal protective equipment has created and revealed inequalities driven by economics, gender, ethnicity and professional influence, creating a division between the ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’ of personal protective equipment. As the healthcare workforce continues to cope with ongoing waves of COVID-19, and with the prospect of more pandemics in the future, it is vital that these inequalities are urgently addressed, both through academic analysis and practical action.

Health Care Problems and Ensuring Sustainable Development among Employees

2020 ◽  
Vol 57 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomasz Rostkowski
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Healthcare System ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
The Republic ◽  
Care Problems ◽  
Diverse Data ◽  
Medical Healthcare

The article offers a synthetic presentation of the results of analyses of diverse data resources and other scientific information concerning the healthcare in Poland. These studies were conducted in order to put forward positive changes that are not only to prevent the fall of the system, which is highly probable, but also to improve the availability of medical services and increase their quality. These studies are of major importance because the availability of medical (healthcare) services is largely determined by whether it is possible to implement the idea of sustainable development among employees, which indirectly determines the possibility of implementing sustainable development principles incorporated into legal circulation under one of the first articles of the Constitution of the Republic of Poland. The concept of sustainable development is not only one of the important reasons which call for modernisation of the functioning of the healthcare system, but also an idea which, once applied, may be helpful in solving healthcare problems. Considering the fact that the largest problem of this system in Poland lies in the shortage of employees, it becomes clear that by trying to ensure sustainable development of employees working in other industries, first, it is necessary to take care of their health, which must lead through sustainable development of healthcare workers. The aim of the article is to present the comprehensive nature of the idea of sustainable development of employees, the role of health protection in achieving a balance by employees, and to show the way to build integrated programmes to maintain the health of employees and their families against the background of the limitations of the Polish healthcare system.

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