Nanci Nagel, DHSc, MSN-ACNP, is an Assistant Professor, Anesthesia and Perioperative Medicine, and Holly Hinson, MD, MCR, is an Associate Professor, Department of Neurology; both at Oregon Health Science University, Portland, OR. Helen Salisbury, PhD, is an Assistant Professor, Doctor of Health Sciences Program, A.T. Still University, Mesa, AZ.
Health Secur. 2021 Nov;19(6):616-624. doi: 10.1089/hs.2020.0246. Epub 2021 Nov 15.
Emerging diseases affect the nursing workforce, but little is known about the willingness of registered nurses (RNs) to work during outbreaks (eg, Ebola virus disease, COVID-19). The objective of our study was to examine the perceptions and attitudes of RNs in the United States regarding their duty to care and willingness to work after a patient infected with the Ebola virus was admitted to their hospital. We performed a quantitative, descriptive study using social media to recruit critical care RNs to complete an online survey. A total of 72 RNs completed the survey. While only 20 respondents reported providing direct care, more than half (n 38) reported that family members asked them not to work with patients infected with the Ebola virus. A majority of respondents (n = 63) agreed that healthcare workers have a duty to help sick people despite high risks to themselves or their families; however, 59 agreed that family responsibilities would take priority. Respondents were less likely to work if their partners (n = 11) or children (n = 7) were ill but more likely to work if colleagues were infected (n = 48) or dying (n = 40). Shunning was experienced by 32 respondents, and 25 knew of others who were shunned. We observed several factors that affect RNs' willingness to provide care when patients are admitted, including moral conflict between their duty to treat sick people and their duty to protect their family. As part of infectious disease emergency planning, health policy managers should consider these complex factors, which may modulate effective patient care. While this study was limited to RNs in the United States during an Ebola virus disease outbreak, the results signal a need for similar research on other emerging infections such as COVID-19.
新发传染病会影响护理人员队伍，但是人们对于注册护士（RN）在疫情爆发期间（例如埃博拉病毒病、COVID-19）工作意愿的了解甚少。我们的研究目的是调查美国 RN 对其护理职责的认知和态度，以及在其所在医院收治埃博拉病毒感染者后他们的工作意愿。我们采用定量描述性研究方法，利用社交媒体招募重症监护 RN 完成在线调查。共有 72 名 RN 完成了调查。尽管只有 20 名受访者报告提供了直接护理，但超过一半（n=38）的受访者报告称，其家庭成员要求他们不要与感染埃博拉病毒的患者一起工作。大多数受访者（n=63）同意医护人员有责任帮助生病的人，即使这对他们自己或家人有很高的风险；然而，59 人同意家庭责任优先。如果他们的伴侣（n=11）或孩子（n=7）生病，受访者更有可能不愿意工作，但如果同事感染（n=48）或病危（n=40），他们更有可能工作。有 32 名受访者经历过回避，有 25 名受访者知道其他人也受到回避。我们观察到一些影响 RN 在患者入院时提供护理意愿的因素，包括他们治疗病人的职责与保护家人的职责之间的道德冲突。作为传染病应急规划的一部分，卫生政策管理者应考虑这些可能影响有效患者护理的复杂因素。虽然这项研究仅限于美国埃博拉病毒病疫情期间的 RN，但结果表明需要对 COVID-19 等其他新发传染病进行类似研究。
