Evaluation of Healthcare Workers Infected with COVID-19: A Qualitative Research on the Disease Process and Its Effects

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the impacts of COVID-19 on healthcare workers and their experience of the disease. Materials and Methods: The research was conducted using qualitative methods between December 12, 2020 and February 5, 2021 with 30 health workers who had recovered from COVID-19. The research data were collected using semi-structured interviews during which participants were asked about their socio-demographic characteristics, their experiences of the disease, and the impacts of the disease. The data obtained were grouped according to themes and sub-themes. Results: The participants identified the emotional, cognitive, and behavioral effects of the disease, including emotional responses at different stages of the disease, attitudes towards the disease, changes in dietary style, over-attention to symptoms and vital findings, and changes in prevention measures after recovery from the disease. Uncertainty, quarantine periods, fear of infecting others, stress factors such as healthcare worker identity and stigma were also identified by the participants. Conclusions: Providing support for the protection of the mental health of healthcare workers who contract the disease is essential to allow them to continue providing quality patient care. We think it would be beneficial to conduct further research on the nature of psychological support for medical personnel who experience COVID-19.

Keywords

• COVID-19
• Pandemic
• Health Worker
• Mental Health
• Qualitative Research

COVID-19 Geçiren Sağlık Çalışanlarının Değerlendirilmesi: Hastalık Süreci ve Etkileri Üzerine Nitel Bir Araştırma

Öz

Amaç: Bu çalışma, COVID-19'un sağlık çalışanları üzerindeki etkilerini ve hastalık deneyimlerini araştırmayı amaçlamıştır. Materyal ve Metot: Araştırma, 12 Aralık 2020 - 5 Şubat 2021 tarihleri ​​arasında COVID-19'dan iyileşen 30 sağlık çalışanı (23 doktor ve 7 hemşire) ile kalitatif yöntemler kullanılarak gerçekleştirilmiştir. Araştırma verileri, katılımcılara sosyo-demografik özellikleri, hastalık deneyimleri ve hastalığın etkileri hakkında sorular sorulan yarı yapılandırılmış görüşmeler kullanılarak toplanmıştır. Elde edilen veriler temalara ve alt temalara göre gruplandırılmıştır. Bulgular: Katılımcılar; hastalığın farklı evrelerinde duygusal tepkiler, hastalığa karşı tutumlar, beslenme tarzındaki değişiklikler, semptomlara ve hayati bulgulara aşırı dikkat ve hastalıktan iyileştikten sonra hastalığı önleme tedbirlerindeki değişiklikler dahil olmak üzere hastalığın duygusal, bilişsel ve davranışsal etkilerini tanımladılar. Katılımcılar tarafından ayrıca belirsizlik, karantina süreleri, başkalarına bulaştırma korkusu, sağlık çalışanı kimliği ve damgalanma gibi stres faktörlerini de belirtildi. Sonuç: Hastalığa yakalanan sağlık çalışanlarının ruh sağlığının korunmasına destek verilmesi, kaliteli hasta bakımı sunmaya devam edebilmeleri için esastır. COVID-19 yaşayan sağlık personeline yönelik psikolojik desteğin niteliği konusunda daha fazla araştırma yapılmasının faydalı olacağını düşünüyoruz.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• COVID-19
• Pandemi
• Sağlık Çalışanı
• Ruh Sağlığı
• Nitel Araştırma

Kaynakça

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