Impact of COVID 19 on Frontline Health Workers
Assessing the impact of frontline healthcare workers burnout from COVID-19 pandemic: The case of frontline healthcare workers in the United States of America (USA)
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Abstract
Worldwide, people have been infected by the COVD-19 pandemic, according to the WHO. It's no secret that healthcare workers, especially those on the frontlines, have been hit hard since the global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic broke out in the first quarter of 2020. COVID-19 pandemic burnout on US frontline healthcare workers was examined in the current study. Methodologies for collecting and analyzing data included both qualitative and quantitative research methods. descriptive models were used in the study of Covid 19's impact on health care workers prior to and during the pandemic period..……………….
CHAPTER 1
Introduction
Health care workers, especially those on the front lines, have been under immense physical and mental stress since a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak broke out in Wuhan, China, in December of 2019. The indications and symptoms of COVID 19 are very similar to those of the previous pandemics, SARS and MERS. Only the rate at which COVID-19 has spread and killed people has differed. During the early days, when specialists had no idea what it was, it was already growing at an incredible rate and capturing the entire world from Wuhan, China, where it began. An infectious viral sickness that had been announced by the Chinese government was later linked to this worldwide epidemic (Datta, 2020).
A worldwide health emergency has been created as a result of the rapid spread of COVID-19. More than 210 countries were affected in less than 5 months, creating a global pandemic with grave health consequences. Large-scale public or private meetings were prohibited, public transportation was stopped, social distance was encouraged, a curfew was put in place, and even entire cities were locked down to prevent the spread of the disease. They also upgraded their health-care facilities by investing more resources in infrastructure, machinery, and pharmaceuticals, as well as employees. Not only were the preventative and control policies and actions expensive, but their inadequacy was felt most acutely by frontline health care employees. As a result, existing frontline staff were put under a lot of pressure. The lockdown exacerbated the health crisis because the disease disproportionately attacked the elderly and those with predisposing conditions, including some who were already frontline employees, resulting in a decrease in workers rather than an increase in patients. Despite the fact that all sectors of the economy were impacted, people's salaries were particularly hard hit, making health care unaffordable. Another hard-hit area is the industrial and manufacturing sector, which has ground to a halt, obstructing medicine and vaccine research and manufacture. Aside from harming the economy and health of the world's population, the COVID-19 also harmed the livelihoods of medical professionals.
Direct and indirect clinicians caring for the virus-infected population in the US Health Care System have experienced severe straining stress and burnout. With high work demand and overload, personnel shortages, and the virus's constant burden growing rate, doctors, nurses, and other professionals have reached their breaking point (Widge et al., 2021). COVID-19 is a unique disease that has caught the globe off guard and wreaked havoc on several healthcare systems around the world. Medical staff became overworked because so many COVID-19 patients sought treatment in an under-resourced healthcare system (Stocchetti et al., 2020). COVID-19 has killed over 80,000 individuals and infected 59.4 million people in the United States, according to the US healthcare system, and affected over 303 million people globally, killing 5.48 million people (Williams et al., 2021).
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Research Problem
In hospitals, burnout was already a huge problem before the COVID-19 outbreak, but since then, the problem has gotten much worse. Research into the effects of Covid 19 on frontline healthcare workers who encounter exhaustion as a result of their part in facilitating and caring for Covid 19 patients has been conducted sparingly or not at all in the United States and other severely affected countries like the United Kingdom, Brazil, Italy, and China. Covid-19 has brought the entire globe to a halt by disrupting various aspects of the economy, especially the healthcare sector. The healthcare environment is critical to human health, yet COVID-19 has emerged as a major health threat in the twenty-first century. The sickness, which originated in Wuhan, China, has spread throughout the world, wreaking havoc on social, economic, and health systems (El Zowalaty et al., 2020). Covid 19 is the first pandemic to have had such a significant impact on practically every facet of human life, including healthcare system and economic institutions. The position of frontline health care professionals has been brought into sharp light as a result of the paradigm change in health care.
The number of persons impacted by this pandemic has steadily increased at an alarming rate, according to global statistics. In a similar spirit, the amount of deaths reported, particularly in wealthy countries such as the United States, is alarming, as few people could have predicted that even world-class economies like the United States and the United Kingdom would be impacted as severely by the pandemic as they are today (Lu et al., 2020. Global public health is being threatened by COVID-19, as indicated by the latest outbreak. Virus experts rank it as the third most dangerous Beta coronavirus to infect humans during the twenty-first century. Despite its evident negative consequences, such as terror, psychological stress, overburdened health-care systems, huge worldwide economic losses, and societal upheavals, its good environmental impact cannot be denied. In reality, any virus outbreak has a significant influence on human health as well as the health of those who care for them. However, recent behavior changes in line with WHO guidelines suggest that governments should place a greater emphasis on frontline workers and the role they play in addressing healthcare challenges.
Research Questions and Objectives
The study's main goal was to see how COVID-19 affected frontline healthcare workers in the United States who were experiencing burnout. The study sought to answer the question, "To what extent has the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States influenced frontline healthcare workers' (HCWs) burnout?" The goal of the study was to see how the COVID-19 epidemic affected frontline healthcare workers' burnout. The research was conducted out with the following aims in mind:
- To ascertain the significant factors that led to the burnout of frontline healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in the US.
- To ascertain the impact of frontline healthcare workers' burnout due to COVID-19 pandemic in the US.
- To investigate the preventive measures to support frontline healthcare workers who experience burnout due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the US.
- To recommend effective interventions needed to maintain frontline healthcare workers' mental health and relieve their burnout in a pandemic situation.
- To evaluate the need for information technology initiatives to help hospital leadership develop a systematic approach in using IT to help their employee’s measure stress levels, seek help for mental awareness and support.
Limitations of Research
Because the study is limited to one state in the United States, the sample size may be tiny, making it impossible to extrapolate the findings globally. Typically, a larger sample size yields more accurate study results. Unfortunately, due to the current state of lockdown, travel restrictions, and social distancing measures, the sample size could not be increased to the desired level. Another major drawback is the lack of previous studies and publications in this field. The literature evaluation in this study is limited because pandemics like COVID-19 occur infrequently and, when they do, they are far apart. Obtaining the necessary and relevant material and resources for the study is a challenge. In addition, the data collection technique used has limitations. Interviews and questionnaires are two of the most effective methods that have been around for a long time; yet, doing an oral and face-to-face interview is a challenge in this study. Most effective research instruments are restricted due to social distancing and WHO guidelines.
Summary of the Chapter
Coronavirus has drastically altered the way people interact in all aspects of life, resulting in the "new normal." COVID-19 has put a pressure on health-care resources, particularly front-line health workers. The stress on frontline health workers has resulted in burnout and decreased productivity, putting the entire quality of health care at risk. The economic lockdown caused by COVID-19 will persist, resulting in lower earnings and resources allocated to the health-care sector. The reduction in healthcare resources will place a pressure on current resources and employees, resulting in a considerable drop in the quality of care. It was the purpose of this study to investigate and assess the effects of COVID-19 on burnout amongst frontline health care workers in the United States.
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
Factors that lead to Frontline Health care workers Burnout
As a result of excessive duty and work expectations, front-line providers and clinicians suffer from burnout, which leads them to feel disconnected from their assigned function and diminishes their sense of satisfaction and efficiency at work (Ferry et al., 2020). As the number of infected patients admitted to the ICU rises, so does the danger to health care workers (HCWs) of becoming infected with the virus during a pandemic such as COVID-19. They may be more likely to make mistakes in the care of patients and even their coworkers if they are suffering from burnout as a healthcare worker (HCW) (Henegan et al., 2020). The authors pointed out that there is a possibility that the COVID-19 pandemic will have an adverse effect on the mental well-being of frontline healthcare professionals (HCWs). As a result, it is critical that frontline health care workers' stress levels and other indicators of mental health are closely monitored so that effective interventions may be put in place.
Having numerous roles with conflicting, competing, or incompatible expectations, as well as ambiguity about what each one is expected to do, puts nurses at more risk for burnout than those who don't have role conflict. Burnout is more likely to occur in jobs with little job relevance and variety, as well as those that demand a lot of effort for little reward. When a lack of resources or frequent exposure to ineffective care in an intensive care unit (ICU) stops a patient from receiving the customary standard of care, they experience moral distress, a psychological state. Workers on the front lines are more likely to become burned out if they are subjected to moral distress on a regular basis. Interpersonal conflict has been linked to an increase in burnout. It is more common to document conflict between front-line employees who have equal authority and those who have a power or hierarchy asymmetry, including between nurses and a physician and between a nurse and management. A lack of support from coworkers and managers can also lead to burnout among nurses and doctors.
Many variables contribute to workers' exhaustion, including their work environment, their workload, and their fatigue. Frontline health care professionals are more likely to become burned out during pandemics like COV 19 when their shifts are longer and their workloads are heavier. During COVID-19, a meta-analytic review of studies on nurses from 11 countries throughout Europe, Asia and North America discovered a correlation between burnout and understaffing. Insufficient sleep and exhaustion have also been suggested as aggravating causes. Chinese researchers discovered that while both basic self and particular confidence in one's competence to handle COVID-19 were associated with lesser burnout in a survey of 2,014 hospital-based nurses in Wuhan. In Romania, during the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers found a clear correlation between poor self-efficacy and exhaustion, according to their findings. At two points over the next six months in a Toronto hospital, a healthcare professional's self-efficacy regarding pandemic-related challenges was a robust cause of decreased burnout when asked, "How confident are you that you will be able to perform duties that are outside of your usual job?" in Fall 2020. According to a meta-analysis, nurses with less special training reported significantly higher levels of burnout.
During the pandemic, healthcare workers have had to deal with a lot of moral distress. ' A Dutch study found that moral distress, such as a scarcity of funds and the belief that coworkers are behaving in a dangerous manner, was a strong predictor of burnout. Most of the differences in burnout between employment can be traced back to a connection between ethics and moral discomfort that was discovered in a Toronto hospital nurses vs. other health professionals vs. other staff with regular patient contact; Hunter J, personal communication. Teaching others about the concept and engaging in critical reflective practice can help alleviate moral distress. Such treatments should be examined in further detail. Workplace burnout has been connected to the absence of social or institutional support from coworkers during COVID-19. As a result of leadership or supervisory support, burnout has also been mitigated. COVID-19-related burnout among Malaysian health care employees was connected with sentiments of stressed work relationships with superiors and coworkers, as well as a perception of inadequate psychological support.
During the COVID-19 epidemic, hospital-based healthcare personnel have reported a significant increase in burnout. There is a considerable chance that healthcare providers may leave their jobs and professions because of long-term burnout. Understaffing may be creating a vicious cycle in which understaffing leads to increasing burnout, which in turn leads to a poorer healthcare workforce. Financial compensation and supportive workplace characteristics, such as supportive leadership at the executive, director, and leader levels, continued professional development, communication skills, and appropriate autonomy among workers and managers, are critical to ensuring the long-term viability of the healthcare workforce. Burnout of most health care personnel during the Covid 19 pandemic led to increased difficulties in recruiting and retaining health care workers, indicating the potential for a long-term and growing problem in healthcare. In order to replace healthcare employees who, limit or stop providing direct patient care, there is a shortage of healthcare workers because these situations are widespread.
Impact of Burnout on Health Care Workers
As a result of emotional tiredness, a lack of personal success, and an inability to focus at work, burnout occurs. Physicians, nurses, and other front-line health workers appear to be the most likely professions to suffer from burnout. Family, friends, and other important aspects of one's life might be sacrificed in the name of getting things done at work, and the resulting stress can have negative effects on one's emotional and physical well-being. Chronic stress manifests itself later, resulting in frustration. Individuals experience feelings of helplessness and failure. People who put in the effort but don't see any results are left with the idea that they're incompetent and inadequate. The next step is indifference, which is characterized by hopelessness and disappointment. People become resigned and disinterested since they don't see a way out of the circumstance. In the final stage, you're constantly exhausted. The signs and symptoms of burnout can lead to serious physical and emotional problems, which may lead to the need for professional assistance.
Women's musculoskeletal disorders and men's cardiovascular problems appear to be linked to burnout. There are no sociodemographic, health-behavior, or depression-related explanations for these correlations. Chronic burnout has been linked to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and hyperlipidemia in other studies. We still don't know the underlying neurobiological pathways for burnout's physical impacts. When it comes to examining burnout and the hypothalamus pituitary-adrenal axis in various studies, the results have been inconsistent and the clinical implications of these results are still unknown. For the time being, there is no hard evidence that any biomarker is clinically relevant for assessing burnout.
Burnout can lead to lower job satisfaction, absenteeism, staff turnover, and skepticism in the workplace. These impacts at work frequently have a negative impact on personal life, including feelings of unhappiness, anxiety, despair, isolation, substance abuse, conflicted and broken relationships, and divorce. Compared to other occupations, physicians may face more catastrophic consequences from burnout. Patient dissatisfaction and lower quality of care have been connected to physician burnout, which, in turn, has been associated to physician burnout. This could potentially lead to malpractice suits and ensuing litigation, which could have a significant financial impact on caregivers and hospitals.
Need for Initiatives to help Health care Workers overcome Burnout
Reduce paperwork and administrative labor, pay workers fairly and equally, implement organizational policy adjustments to enhance balance between work and life and stimulate the use of electronic health technology in workflows are all necessary measures to combat burnout. Enhance assistance for early, mid-career, and senior nursing positions, as well as overall nurse staffing and nursing program enrollment, are among the recommendations given by the Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO) to maintain a sufficient pool of nurse practitioners (RNAO). Health human resources strategy can also highlight the dangers to a healthy workforce, such burnout, and alleviate healthcare worker shortages due to changing careers, and the impending health human resource problem due to retirements due to an elderly workforce.
Preceptorship, mentorship, and formal education for 27–52 weeks tend to help new nurses retain their jobs and reduce turnover. As a result of this, many nurses are considering abandoning the profession due to its high levels of stress. Registered nurse management that is noticeable, caring, inspirational, and retains high performance in the organization; procedures for continuous professional development; effective communication and ability to respond from leaders; a relatively flat organizational hierarchy; and all of these elements combine to make the workplace more appealing. Furthermore, these attributes have been associated to decreased stress levels and improving health care, which is crucial.
Burnout prevention efforts at the individual and organizational levels should be combined. There isn't enough evidence to say that one intervention is better than another, so it's suggested that people have access to a wide range of research-backed tools. Well-designed research trials have shown that stress reduction, yoga, mindfulness, relaxation approaches, interpersonal training opportunities, managing training opportunities, and cognitive behavioral therapy therapies are all useful. Professionals damaged by events beyond their control may have the impression that reparation is being placed on them when they get individual resources. Organizational and system level initiatives should be seen as complementary to individual level interventions
Shift duration and scheduling, sufficient training, support and information for moral distress should be the focus of remedies at the systemic and organizational levels. Nurses' shifts should not exceed 12 hours, and working overtime is strongly discouraged. Inter-shift recovery should be taken into consideration when scheduling. Maintaining a sufficient number of employees is essential to avoiding overtime. Health care workers must balance the needs of patients, direct care time, and the cooperation between different services when selecting optimal staffing levels, no matter the specialization. Staffing decisions, such as how long shifts should be or how often they should be, are based on data collected from regular checks on workload. To prevent burnout among healthcare providers, it is essential to provide them with the tools and resources they need to succeed in new areas of work that may be unfamiliar to them, such as moving to a new department and having to deal with concerns such as interpersonal, workplace abuse and assault, and reacting to moral discomfort.
Creating positive work environment and culture is the responsibility of leaders. In order to make good judgments, leaders need to be open to input from all levels of the organization, including those on the front lines. It is critical for managers to support their employees. Organizational leaders should do their best to promote this. In order to combat burnout, it is important to develop a work environment that encourages well-being and discourages presenteeism that is, encouraging employees to stay away from their desks. In addition, it is important to actively seek to eliminate systemic factors that contribute to burnout. Coworkers should be encouraged to help one another in a positive work environment. Peer assistance programs should also be developed. Additionally, people in need of it should be able to receive psychiatric evaluations and treatment on an individual basis. Health care organizations must acknowledge that the COVID-19 epidemic has heightened the level of moral suffering experienced by healthcare workers. Learning about moral distress and participating in teams that enable for cognitive re-framing should help alleviate its negative impacts, although this hasn't been properly studied. In order to prevent burnout, attempts may commence with those that have been the worst hit. Healthcare workers in high-acuity environments with a large number of COVID-19 patients or outbreaks, including those just beginning out in their careers, are all at risk of developing COVID-19.
Taking a multifaceted approach to both the prevention and treatment of burnout is critical because of all the external and internal elements that play a role in its development. A person's mentality and attitude toward their work environment must also be taken into consideration. Developing and executing individual coping techniques is just as important as implementing measures at the professional level and in the workplace. The severity of the symptoms should be taken into consideration while developing a treatment plan for burnout syndrome. If the problems are modest, then modifying one's daily routine and achieving a better work–life balance should suffice. The three foundations of these procedures are stress relief, recuperation during recreation and exercising, and going back to reality in terms of surrendering the goals of perfection. Doctors may utilize a range of health practices to treat the symptoms of burnout. The first method places a strong emphasis on interpersonal relationships. This way of life places a high value on spending time with loved ones, whether blood relatives or new acquaintances. It's also crucial to make contacts with other doctors and discuss with them the psychological and philosophical elements of being a doctor.
Some people's sense of well-being is influenced by their religious beliefs and/or spiritual practices. In this context, it is paying attention to your own spiritual development. As many as 34% of the people polled said this was important or even vital. Workplace attitudes are a third factor to consider. These kinds of jobs are fulfilled in two ways. In the first case, it's about finding purpose and satisfaction in your work, while in the second, it's about being selective more about type of medicine you practice. Apart from professional and familial responsibilities, a person might also actively pursue individual interests and self-awareness as a fourth strategy. This also means that you should seek medical help if you experience any physical or mental health issues. Exercising regularly, self-expression activities, a healthy diet and rest are just a few examples of healthy lifestyle choices. Adopting a personal philosophy of life is the final step. With an emphasis on personal and professional balance, establishing a good philosophy of life begins with defining one's own values and acting in accordance with those ideals. It's possible that similar strategies will be used to avoid burnout in the future.
Even if each physician is ultimately responsible for his or her personal well-being, professional and structural awareness, attention, and knowledge of the situation can have a significant impact. Workplace qualities and institutional elements that influence to well-being include developing a friendly workplace, supporting autonomy, and providing adequate office supplies and support for employees. As a result of giving physicians more control over their schedules and the capacity to influence their work environment and organizational decisions, it appears that this has a significant positive effect regardless of the type of practice. As part of efforts to reduce work-home interference, flexible scheduling, on-call child care, and other measures are critical to the well-being of employees.
Psychotherapeutic therapies are advised if burnout symptoms are severe. Antidepressants, ideally in conjunction with psychotherapy, may also have a place. Burnout can be treated with a variety of methods, although the effectiveness of these methods is still up for debate. When it comes to treating burnout, a health technology assessment conducted in 2012 evaluated the use and efficacy of several treatments. There were 17 papers included in this systematic review. Of these, 13 looks study the effectiveness of psychotherapy and other psychosocial therapies in helping people avoid or reduce burnout. Many studies have shown that cognitive behavioral therapy can help alleviate feelings of tiredness. Stress management and music therapy, on the other hand, have been shown to be ineffective. Only one study reveals the effectiveness of Rhodiola Rosea roots, while two studies look at the usefulness of Qigong therapy. Only one study has looked at physical therapy independently, and the results reveal that it is no more effective than normal therapy. According to some scholars, a significant amount of natural recuperation has had an impact.
When the COVID-19 epidemic hit many EU nations, including Italy, the hospital systems became overburdened and ICU workers had greater psychological stress as a result, according to Gualano et al. and Stocchetti et al. (2021). As a result of worry, insomnia, and depression, many of the nurses and doctors working in the intensive care unit (ICU) had difficulty concentrating and making good decisions (Stocchetti et al., 2021). Even as numbers of COVID-19-positive patients skyrocketed due to the COVID-19 outbreak, healthcare staff experienced exhaustion and mood issues. The number of people seeking immediate medical attention in hospitals has increased (Lin et al., 2021). According to previous research, the issue of burnout among frontline health care workers (HCW) is of major concern because of their direct contact with highly contagious patients during the Ebola, SARS or H1N1 outbreaks (Benassy et al., 2020).
Another cause in the burnout of frontline healthcare professionals in the United Kingdom due to the COVID-19 epidemic was a dearth of suitable personal protective equipment (PPE) (Sayburn, 2020). The Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine, in conjunction with the Critical Care Society, the Affiliation of Anesthesiologists, and the Royal College of Anaesthetists in the United States, recommended the use of gloves and eye protection when COVID-19 was known or suspected to be present in a patient's environment. Long-sleeved surgical gowns, FFP3 masks, eye protection, and a second batch of gloves should be worn by operating room and intensive care unit staff in order to guard against infectious pathogens (Sayburn, 2020). HCWs and patients were put at risk by a lack of PPE in the United States, which the government acknowledged. The governmental rules for the use of PPE were unrealistic, resulting in the reuse and adaptation of PPE in the workplace (Hoernke et al., 2021). A lack of trust and a lack of clarity existed among HCWs because of the frequent changes to PPE usage recommendations (Sayburn, 2020; Hoernke et al., 2021). Because of the increased acuity of the patients, the longer working hours and workload, and the fact that they were reassigned to clinical practice from non-frontline professions, medical professionals were more vulnerable to infection. Lack of suitable PPE for frontline HCWs was cited by Hoernke et al. (2021) as a defining feature of the COVID-19 pandemic, with environmental factors such as fear of infection, family and friends also contributing to mental stress (Ferry et al., 2020). Despite the paucity of personal protective equipment (PPE) and the incorrect provision of that equipment, frontline health care workers (HCWs) continued to provide excellent care for their COVID-19 patients. As a result of the COVID-19 situation, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that HCW are at danger of developing mental health issues both short-term and long-term. Anxiety, stress, and despair are among the signs of mental illness (Folegatti et al., 2020). According to academics such as Folegatti, frontline healthcare professionals can cope with any pandemic outbreak, such as COVID-19, via workplace interventions that address their core everyday requirements and pharmaceutical and psychosocial interventions.
According to Folegatti et al. (2020), researchers' evidence was lacking in both quantitative and qualitative terms. There was a need for more study to establish the best and most effective interventions for the burnout of the frontline HCWs during and after the pandemics, which were carried out either during or after the epidemics. According to Carmassi et al. (2020), there is a critical need to support the mental health needs of HCWs who are on the front line and helping patients with viral infection and other underlying diseases light of COVID-19. It is more likely for them to acquire post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other symptoms of post-acute stress disorder (PTSD) (PTSS). According to the literature study, HCWs' mental health has been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the researcher intends to undertake further research on this topic. In particular, in the UK, how does it affect frontline health care workers who have been burned out by the pandemic?
Effects of COVID-19 on Global Health
In terms of public health, the COVID-19 pandemic is a major issue and the most critical disaster to date. As a result of the virus's worldwide spread, many individuals have been infected and have died. Only lately have vaccinations or medications that have been scientifically demonstrated to be effective against coronavirus been released by the World Health Organization. There are political and economic difficulties in the countries affected by the pandemic, as well as health-related ones. All countries are taking precautions to prevent the virus from spreading, including tracking and quarantining those suspected of someone being exposed, testing and treating those who are sick, limiting social interaction and large gatherings, and enforcing a partial or full lockdown. Global health is significantly impacted by COVID-19, according to a study conducted by Chakraborty and Maity (2020).
COVID-19's emergence has sparked a global pandemic and is a major public health concern. Due to the fact that the disease is extremely infectious, close interaction and respiratory secretions are the primary methods of transmission. Close contact with an infected person, exposed to sneezing, coughing, respiratory aerosols, or droplets, increases the risk of virus transmission. By inhaling through the mouth or nose, these droplets enter the respiratory system. As with other coronavirus illnesses, a person infected with the virus can experience mild to non-specific signs and symptoms of acute respiratory diseases, such as cough, shortness of breath, fever, and fatigue, all the way up to acute pneumonia with septic shock and respiratory failure (Wang & Su, 2020). It's critical to establish the link between COVID-19 and immune-rheumatologic disease. In light of the epidemic's frenzied and rapid spread, the health of rheumatoid arthritis patients is of particular importance. COVID-19 is a respiratory infection that destroys not just the lungs, but also other tissues and organs, as a respiratory illness. A major public health issue, COVID-19 is also a leading cause of hospitalization and even mortality for the elderly and middle-aged population in the nations impacted.
Summary of the Chapter
The COVID-19 pandemic, its control measures, and the virus's effects on the environment and air quality are examined in this chapter, which includes a critical review of the relevant literature. This chapter discusses a study on the impact of containment measures on burnout among workers in Western European countries. Scientific rigor should be maintained during this epidemic, according to a second study on impact of worker burnout and COVID-19 research. COVID-19 and its social distancing measures have also been examined in a critical review of literature on the global environment and other aspects of society, including the economy.
Their findings show a strong correlation between the emergency measures put in place to limit the virus's spread and the improvement of the air quality, the reduction of water pollution, and the preservation of clean beaches. Negative effects of the pandemic include an increase in waste and decreased recycling, which leads to an increase in contamination and endangerment of land, water, and air. For a more in-depth look at COVID-19's impact on the environment and air quality, we'll be consulting some older studies.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY
Introduction
Since the Covid pandemic broke out in the US, researchers have used the inductive research approach to explore the impact of Covid 19 on frontline health professional burnout. The design, in particular, was useful in determining the specific stresses and burnout experienced by frontline employees. As a supplement to the limited secondary data, a qualitative investigation was conducted. In order to gain a better insight of how the corona virus propagated, researchers used data gathered from machines and big data to evaluate. The Tennessee Hospitals' Databases on Covid admissions were used in this study.
The methods and designs outlined in this chapter will aid the researcher in completing the project's goals. Only if the study's goals are clearly defined and appropriate procedures are used can this be achieved. In addition, the study uses appropriate methodologies to answer the research questions. In general, the methodology section explains the research's strategy and purpose. The Saunders model will be used to provide in-depth information about research methods in this chapter (Saunders, Cuthbert, & Zipkin, 2018).
Figure 1.0: Saunders model
Research philosophy
A research topic's philosophical underpinnings are referred to as its research philosophy. The assumption made in the research informs the study's justification. In addition to the study's goals and questions, the methodology also considered the study's approach. The method of data collecting will be influenced by the research philosophy that is being followed. After determining the data gathering method, the data analysis approach will be decided. Ethical considerations will also be addressed in the chapter, as they are critical to the research. As a final step, the methodology section outlines the study's methodological and conceptual flaws.
Research Approaches
COVID-19's impact on frontline health workers' burnout in the United States will be studied using an inductive research approach. Health care professionals' productivity levels were also studied using this design. Qualitative research was employed to answer questions posed by machine learning and big data collected from county hospitals in the US state of Tennessee. The study also evaluated data that had been gathered since the outbreak of Covid 19 in the United States and specifically in Tennessee hospitals, in order to better understand the many components of burnout amongst frontline employees. Lastly, a conclusion was reached based on prior research into other pandemics that were pertinent to the current study and connected.
Collection and Analysis of Data
The data used in this study came from Tennessee state hospital records, which serve as a repository for all of the state's hospitals' health records. Frontline health workers' productivity was assessed using the daily admissions to Covid 19. During the enormous rise in workload, a comparison was made between the number of patients admitted to hospitals before and after the Covid 19 period. Another factor that contributed to burnout was the number of new patients, new cases discovered, and those who had been admitted because of the severity of their illnesses. Analysis of COVID-19's impact on frontline health professionals' burnout in the US was conducted using both primary and secondary data methodologies. In order to compare the variations in work levels across time, descriptive statistics were employed.
Ethical Consideration
The researcher is expected to deal with ethical issues in a competent manner during the course of the study. Several studies have not been peer-reviewed and present erroneous data measurement techniques. If the study is to be incorporated into existing research, the researcher must first determine its validity. Using data from multiple studies can introduce inaccuracies into the findings. However, conflicting figures have been published regarding the changes in the work practices of frontline health workers across North America and other countries, despite the use of previous peer-reviewed publications. Overall, the credibility of data sources determines its validity. The study's research objectives guided the study's design, which focused on answering specific research questions. As a result, it is reasonable to assume that the study's findings will be in line with the research questions and findings. Another disadvantage of the research methodologies is the absence of comprehensive data spanning a considerable amount of time.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Introduction
The description of the data measurement analysis and findings of the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on frontline health workers since it began in the United States are presented in this chapter. The findings of the study are presented in this chapter, which is based on the research questions and objectives and aims to fill in the gaps identified by the problem statement. The critical discussion of the various effects of Covid 19 on health worker burnout contributes to a better understanding of the current state of the health care system and also how frontline health workers in the United States and other parts of the world are affected.
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