A Qualitative Evaluation of the Health-Care Workers Infected with COVID-19

Year 2022, Volume: 44 Issue: 3, 309 - 316, 14.03.2022

Ülfiye Çelikkalp , Faruk Yorulmaz , Cem Mısırlı , Nurşen Uzun , Elif Üstün

Abstract

This study aims to determine the thoughts and opinions of healthcare professionals working in a pandemic hospital and infected with COVID-19 regarding the reasons for taking the agent, the disease process, and the risks in the environment in which they work. This study was designed as a qualitative descriptive study. The study, which is working in a pandemic hospital in Turkey and 14 health workers who were infected with COVID-19 was carried out between June-July 2020. The researcher collected the data through face-to-face interviews with a semi-structured, in-depth interview form created in line with the aims of the study. In the study, three main themes were determined under the heading of; the negative effects on health of COVID-19 as a healthcare worker during the pandemic process, thoughts about the cause of becoming COVID-19, and experiences and effects during the COVID-19 disease process. During the interviews, healthcare professionals stated that they were caught COVID-19 because of their work and workplace, they were stigmatized due to their illnesses, they lost their health due to COVID-19, and they had concerns that some health problems would not pass. However, they stated that they had a shortage of personal protective equipment at the beginning, they did not receive training on the subject, and the risk of being infected with COVID-19 was high due to the excessive working hours. Healthcare workers suffering from COVID-19 have experienced the infection physically and mentally in a very severe way. 

Keywords

Coronavirus, COVID-19, health-care workers, Coronavirus, COVID-19, health-care workers

COVID-19 ile Enfekte Olan Sağlık Çalışanlarının Kalitatif Değerlendirilmesi

Abstract

Bu çalışmanın amacı, bir pandemi hastanesinde çalışan ve COVID-19 ile enfekte olan sağlık çalışanlarının, etkeni alma nedenleri, hastalık süreci ve çalıştıkları ortamdaki risklere ilişkin düşünce ve görüşlerini belirlemektir. Bu araştırma nitel tanımlayıcı bir araştırma olarak tasarlanmıştır. Türkiye’de bir pandemi hastanesinde çalışmakta olan ve COVID-19 ile enfekte olan 14 sağlık çalışanı ile Haziran-Temmuz 2020 tarihleri arasında yürütülmüş olan kalitatif bir çalışmadır. Veriler, araştırmacı tarafından, çalışmanın amaçları doğrultusunda oluşturulan yarı yapılandırılmış, derinlemesine görüşme formu ile yüz yüze görüşülerek toplanmıştır. Araştırmada pandemi sürecinde sağlık çalışanı olarak COVID-19 un sağlık üzerine negatif etkileri, COVID-19’a yakalanma nedeni ile ilgili düşünceler ve COVID-19 hastalık sürecinde yaşananlar ve etkileri başlığı altında üç ana tema belirlenmiştir. Yapılan görüşmelerde sağlık çalışanları yaptıkları iş ve işyerinden dolayı COVID-19’a yakalandıkları, hastalıkları nedeniyle damgalandıklarını, COVID-19’a bağlı olarak sağlıklarını kaybettiklerini ve bazı sağlık sorunlarının geçmeyeceğine ilişkin kaygılarının olduğunu belirtmişlerdir. Bununla birlikte başlangıçta kişisel koruyucu malzeme sıkıntısı yaşadıklarını, konu ile ilgili eğitim almadıklarını ve çalışma saatlerinin fazla olması nedeniyle COVID-19 ile enfekte olma risklerinin fazla olduğunu ifade etmişlerdir. COVID-19 hastalığına yakalanmış olan sağlık çalışanları, enfeksiyonunu bedensel ve ruhsal olarak ağır bir şekilde yaşamışlardır.

Keywords

Coronavirus, COVID-19, health-care workers

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