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Chapter I

This document discusses the stress experienced by healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. It outlines factors that contribute to their stress, such as worries about social isolation and infection. Previous studies found healthcare workers experienced high levels of stress, anxiety, and depression during the pandemic. Understanding and addressing healthcare worker stress is important for controlling the spread of infection and ensuring patient safety.

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Aiza Pearl Lascuña
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29 views2 pages

Chapter I

This document discusses the stress experienced by healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. It outlines factors that contribute to their stress, such as worries about social isolation and infection. Previous studies found healthcare workers experienced high levels of stress, anxiety, and depression during the pandemic. Understanding and addressing healthcare worker stress is important for controlling the spread of infection and ensuring patient safety.

Uploaded by

Aiza Pearl Lascuña
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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CHAPTER I

THE PROBLEM AND ITS SETTING

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

The outbreak of a new coronavirus (COVID-19, formerly known as nCoV-2019) was first
reported in Wuhan, China, since late December 2019. COVID-19 is an acute fatal disease that
may cause progressive respiratory complications which end up with death. On March 11th, 2020,
the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
outbreak had become a pandemic. Widespread infection and fatalities among the HCWs are
causing social and mental pressure. A conceptual framework for healthcare workers’ stress when
caring for COVID-19 patients including four variables (the worry of social isolation, the
discomfort caused by the protective equipment, the difficulties and anxiety of infection control,
and the workload of caring for patients)

The lack of knowledge has been associated with higher infection rate. Misunderstandings among
HCWs have delayed controlling efforts to provide necessary treatment led to the rapid spread of
infection in hospitals, and put patients’ lives at risk. Knowledge can influence the perceptions of
HCWs due to their past experiences and beliefs. Several socio-demographic (e.g., gender, age,
profession) and psychological variables (e.g., social support, self-efficacy) have been associated
with increased level of stress, anxiety, depressive symptoms, and insomnia in HCWs. HCWs
who have been confident about infection control have had the lowest level of stress. HCWs,
particularly those working in emergency units, ICUs, and infectious disease wards, have
experienced different levels of stress, anxiety, and insomnia. In addition, they have faced
loneliness and rigid expectations, which can lead to anger, anxiety, and uncertainty of the
outbreak.

In a study conducted by Cai et al. (2020) with 534 doctors, nurses and primary care providers in
Hubei state, healthcare professionals’ stress levels were found to be extremely high during the
COVID-19 outbreak. As a result of a study conducted in Turkey, it was determined that 38% of
nurses working in the emergency department experienced stress. According to the same research,
it was revealed that nurses experiencing stress regretted their choice of profession and thought to
quit or leave their jobs (Yasal and Partlak, 2019). The study conducted by Jiang et al. (2020)
with 310 people in order to examine the psychological symptoms of healthcare professionals in
Wuhan during the COVID-19 outbreak showed that healthcare professionals were under
moderate to severe stress, and that many of them reported high anxiety and depression.
Emergencies such as the COVID-19 outbreak can prove riskier for healthcare professionals who
work under various difficulties and risks even in the provision of ordinary health services. These
situations can cause them to be exposed to severe stress reactions and experience stress, which
increases the risk of developing secondary trauma.

In a short span of time, COVID-19 has proven to be a fatal disease that has caused serious
damage to the health and economy of the Philippines. The emergence of COVID-19 exerted
unprecedented pressure on the country's health care system and presented various challenges to
its nursing workforce, potentially affecting nurses’ work performance and mental health and
even putting their lives at risk (Lv et al., 2020; Maben & Bridges, 2020; Mo et al., 2020).

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