Background
Aims
Methods
Study context
Participants
Number of responses n (%) | Valid n | ||
---|---|---|---|
Gender | Female | 86 (92.5%) | 93 |
Male | 4 (4.3%) | ||
Prefer not to say/other | 3 (3.2%) | ||
Age | Under 21 years | 0 (0.0%) | 93 |
21-30 years | 9 (9.7%) | ||
31-40 years | 14 (15.1%) | ||
41-50 years | 30 (32.3%) | ||
51-60 years | 34 (36.6%) | ||
61 years and over | 6 (6.5%) | ||
Education level | Up to year 10 | 1 (1.1%) | 93 |
Year 11 | 4 (4.3%) | ||
Year 12 | 3 (3.2%) | ||
TAFE certificate | 10 (10.8%) | ||
Graduate Diploma/ Certificate | 19 (20.4%) | ||
Bachelor degree | 30 (32.3%) | ||
Postgraduate qualification (e.g., Masters, PhD) | 26 (28.0%) | ||
Primary role type | Clinical | 54 (58.1%) | 93 |
Non-clinical support | 38 (40.9%) | ||
Both clinical and non-clinical | 1 (1.1%) | ||
Primary department | Nursing | 32 (41.6%) | 77 |
Administration | 19 (24.7%) | ||
Allied health | 11 (14.3%) | ||
Community services | 8 (10.4%) | ||
Corporate services | 5 (6.5%) | ||
Medical | 2 (2.6%) |
Instrument
Agreement (agree/ strongly agree responses) | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Scale | Question | Item | Number (%) | Valid n |
1. Clinical | a. Do you believe that the following clinical measures are useful in protecting you from contracting/being infected with coronavirus (COVID-19) at work? | i. Hand washing [3] | 85 (97.7%) | 87 |
ii. Alcohol rubs/hand sanitizer [3] | 85 (96.6%) | 88 | ||
iii. Surgical mask (face mask) [3] | 66 (83.5%) | 79 | ||
iv. N95 mask (respirator mask) [3] | 67 (87.0%) | 77 | ||
v. Gloves [3] | 73 (89.0%) | 82 | ||
vi. Gowns [3] | 77 (96.3%) | 80 | ||
vii. Goggles [3] | 71 (89.9%) | 79 | ||
viii. Antiviral drugs [3] | 10 (14.1%) | 71 | ||
b. Please indicate your level of agreement with the following statements: | i. There is an infection control committee at my hospital [4] | 82 (93.2%) | 88 | |
88 (100.0%) | 88 | |||
iii. There are infection control staff in my hospital [4] | 87 (98.9%) | 88 | ||
80 (90.9%) | 88 | |||
v. My hospital has developed/adopted clinical guidelines for responding to a coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak | 81 (93.1%) | 87 | ||
c. Please indicate your level of agreement with the following statements. In the past 3 months: | i. I have attended infection control training sessions [4] | 58 (73.4%) | 79 | |
ii. I have participated in infection control audits [4] | 20 (27.4%) | 73 | ||
iii. I have attended infection control related meetings [4] | 32 (43.2%) | 74 | ||
83 (98.8%) | 84 | |||
70 (90.9%) | 77 | |||
2. Communication | a. Do you believe that the following communication strategies are useful in preparing you to respond to coronavirus (COVID-19) at work? | i. Information posters/notices [3] | 76 (89.4%) | 85 |
ii. COVID-19 email updates | 83 (98.8%) | 84 | ||
iii. Video updates from the CEO regarding coronavirus (COVID-19) | 61 (72.6%) | 84 | ||
iv. Information on the health service intranet regarding coronavirus (COVID-19) | 76 (89.4%) | 85 | ||
v. Health service social media updates regarding coronavirus (COVID-19) | 65 (79.3%) | 82 | ||
vi. Updates from the health service Department Heads regarding coronavirus (COVID-19) | 76 (91.6%) | 83 | ||
vii. Meetings discussing coronavirus (COVID-19) | 73 (89.0%) | 82 | ||
viii. Downloading the COVIDSafe app | 52 (62.7%) | 83 | ||
3. Environment | a. Do you believe that the following environmental strategies are useful in protecting you from contracting/being infected with coronavirus (COVID-19) at work? | i. Limiting visitors to the health service [3] | 79 (97.5%) | 81 |
ii. Temperature checks (for patients and visitors) [3] | 76 (92.7%) | 82 | ||
iii. Social distancing at work | 75 (91.5%) | 82 | ||
iv. Limiting shared desks/workstations (“hot-desks”) | 73 (90.1%) | 81 | ||
v. Area isolation (Restricting employee/visitor access to areas) [3] | 78 (95.1%) | 82 | ||
vi. Increasing airflow through work areas | 56 (68.3%) | 82 | ||
vii. Additional cleaning/sanitization of work areas/offices | 78 (96.3%) | 81 | ||
viii. Reduced frequency of work meetings | 70 (86.4%) | 81 | ||
ix. Telehealth sessions (limiting face-to-face work with patients) | 76 (98.7%) | 77 | ||
x. Limiting clinical placements at the health service | 61 (79.2%) | 77 | ||
4. Human Resources | a. Do you believe that the following human resources related strategies are useful in supporting you/protecting you from coronavirus (COVID-19) at work? | i. Temperature checks (for employees) [3] | 75 (87.2%) | 86 |
ii. Asymptomatic COVID-19 screening tests for employees | 76 (88.4%) | 86 | ||
iii. Employees working from home | 68 (81.9%) | 83 | ||
iv. Flexible leave planning | 73 (87.9%) | 83 | ||
b. Please indicate your level of agreement with the following statements: | i. I am aware of the health service’s COVID-19 Health and Wellbeing program for employees | 70 (82.4%) | 85 | |
ii. I have accessed the health service’s COVID-19 Health and Wellbeing program for employees | 16 (21.6%) | 74 | ||
iii. I found it helpful to access the health service’s COVID-19 Health and Wellbeing program for employees | 16 (26.7%) | 60 | ||
5. General Preparedness | a. Please indicate your level of agreement with the following statements: | 68 (84.0%) | 81 | |
ii. I have been involved in decision-making regarding coronavirus (COVID-19) preparation in my role/area at the health service | 42 (57.5%) | 73 | ||
iii. I am well prepared to respond to a coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in my role at the health service [4] | 58 (74.4%) | 78 | ||
iv. I am confident in explaining coronavirus (COVID-19) procedures to colleagues at work | 63 (84.0%) | 75 | ||
v. I am confident in explaining coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic to patients [4] | 58 (82.8%) | 70 | ||
vi. I am confident in explaining coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic to members of the community | 61 (82.4%) | 74 | ||
vii. I believe decisions regarding coronavirus (COVID-19) preparation at the health service were based on the best available evidence at the time | 72 (88.9%) | 81 | ||
viii. I believe the scale of the health service’s response to coronavirus (COVID-19) preparation was appropriate for the level of potential risk/threat | 66 (81.5%) | 81 | ||
ix. I have personally coped with the threat of a coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak at work by learning as much as I can about it [3] | 71 (88.8%) | 80 | ||
49 (60.5%) | 81 | |||
40 (50.0%) | 80 | |||
xii. I am worried about a second wave of coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak at work | 54 (66.7%) | 81 | ||
xiii. I might consider taking extended leave from my role because of the risk of contracting coronavirus (COVID-19) at work [3] | 13 (16.3%) | 80 | ||
1 (1.3%) | 79 | |||
xv. My colleagues should stay home from work if they have cold/flu symptoms during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic | 77 (97.5%) | 79 | ||
xvi. I feel it is pointless to take precautions regarding coronavirus (COVID-19) at work [3] | 1 (1.2%) | 81 |
Clinical scale
Communication scale
Environment scale
Human resources scale
General preparedness scale
Procedure
Recruitment
Data collection
Data analysis
Results
COVID-19 education and training
COVID-19 related education | Number of responses n (%) |
---|---|
Online hand hygiene eLearning | 80 (86.0%) |
Donning and doffing personal protective equipment (PPE) | 69 (74.2%) |
Online COVID-19 infection control training eLearning | 63 (67.7%) |
Consultation with infection prevention and control staff at the health service | 51 (54.8%) |
Webinars/online training offered by external organizations | 36 (38.7%) |
‘Short and sharp’ COVID-19 simulation | 20 (21.5%) |
Simulation – airway management for intubation specific to COVID-19 patients | 14 (15.1%) |
Simulation – advanced life support for the COVID-19 patient | 12 (12.9%) |
Attended other education or training | 6 (6.5%) |
Did not attend any education or training sessions about COVID-19 | 6 (6.5%) |
Perspectives and knowledge regarding health service preparation
Differences in employees’ perspectives and knowledge
Clinical scale
Communication scale
Environment scale
Human resources scale
General preparedness scale
Health workers’ perceptions
Leadership
Resources
Rationing the limited PPE supplies reportedly “increased the stress level to be able to perform your job” (36). Employing extra cleaning staff and “implementing a formal back fill process for administrative/reception staff” (51) were suggestions to assist with increased demands.“lack of PPE and hand sanitizers/wipes have been a concern affecting our ability to provide care to clients … I am prepared to accept risk of COVID-19 IF we have adequate PPE to use. I would be unhappy about having to see clients when PPE are in limited supply … with no hand sanitizers in some treatment rooms, I would have to weigh [up] if I would see clients” (8).
Knowledge acquisition
Education and implementation of infection control protocols and guidelines were also mentioned including isolation protocols, office spacing, and prevention of transmission.“designated time and coursework initiated by senior staff and the medical team to help understand how to be prepared [and] understand our individual roles” (73).
Feeling prepared and supported
However, some respondents described negative impacts on their wellbeing and performance during what was felt to be a “a scary time as no-one knew how the virus would escalate” (30). The issue of limited resources and staff shortages impacted on their levels of stress as one respondent commented, “rations per shift [which] increased the stress level to be able to perform your job” (36). Others wanted to be better informed about aspects of COVID-19 and PPE, for instance “more information and continuity as [to] when and what [PPE] to wear” (75).“management and staff have prepared well and have adequate support” (42)“our organization has responded really well and been led effectively to be prepared, but not alarmed as we navigated this virus” (27).“I feel have been well educated and trained re: COVID-19” (10).