Mesothelioma UK Research Centre, University of Sheffield, UK.
East Cheshire NHS Trust (UK), & LCNUK (Lung Cancer Nursing UK), UK.
Eur J Oncol Nurs. 2022 Dec;61:102207. doi: 10.1016/j.ejon.2022.102207. Epub 2022 Oct 2.
The covid-19 global pandemic has impacted on nurses who have rapidly adapted to new ways of working, and experienced negative impacts due to over-stretched services. Two surveys captured the experiences of lung cancer and mesothelioma specialist nurses in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2020, but the impact of later stages of the pandemic was unknown. This study aimed to explore the impact of covid-19 on lung Cancer and mesothelioma nurses since January 2021, the second wave of the pandemic.
An online cross-sectional survey with both open and closed questions explored the impact of covid-19 on ways of working and workload, quality of care, and health and wellbeing. The survey was open to UK based lung cancer and mesothelioma advanced or specialist nurses.
85 nurses responded to the survey. The majority were Clinical Nurse Specialists, based in England. Respondents reported changes in ways of working due to redeployment, staff shortages, and home working. Widespread adoption of virtual working practices led to concerns of negative impacts. Perceived excessive workload impacted on care with two-thirds of the sample (57, 67%) reporting they had been unable to provide the same quality of care to patients. Impacts on nurses' health and wellbeing were reported with two-thirds of the sample (56, 66%) reporting a deterioration in emotional wellbeing and mental health. Coping mechanisms employed included online team support to share experiences and increased uptake of exercise; however, impacts on lifestyle and access to coping mechanisms varied.
Nurses have stepped up to the challenges of the pandemic with teamwork and innovation, but pressure arising from the pandemic and high workloads led to negative impacts on wellbeing. The authors have provided recommendations to improve patient care and support the wellbeing of nurses, which will be key to a resilient workforce living with covid-19. Whilst this study focussed on lung cancer and mesothelioma specialists, the findings have wider implications for other cancer specialties.
新冠疫情大流行对护士产生了影响，他们迅速适应了新的工作方式，但由于服务过度紧张，他们也经历了负面影响。两项调查在 2020 年分别记录了英国（英国）肺癌和间皮瘤专科护士的经验，但对疫情后期的影响却不得而知。本研究旨在探讨自 2021 年 1 月以来新冠疫情对肺癌和间皮瘤护士的影响，这是疫情的第二波。
一项在线横断面调查，既有开放式问题，也有封闭式问题，探讨了新冠疫情对工作方式和工作量、护理质量以及健康和福利的影响。该调查面向英国的肺癌和间皮瘤高级或专科护士开放。
85 名护士对调查做出了回应。他们中的大多数是在英格兰的临床护理专家。受访者报告说，由于重新部署、人员短缺和在家工作，工作方式发生了变化。虚拟工作实践的广泛采用导致了负面的影响。大多数人认为工作量过大影响了护理，三分之二的样本（57 人，占 67%）报告说，他们无法为患者提供同样的护理质量。报告称，护士的健康和福利受到了影响，三分之二的样本（56 人，占 66%）报告称，他们的情绪健康和心理健康恶化。所采用的应对机制包括在线团队支持以分享经验和增加锻炼；然而，对生活方式和获得应对机制的影响因人而异。
护士们以团队合作和创新精神迎接了疫情的挑战，但疫情和高工作量带来的压力对幸福感产生了负面影响。作者提出了改善患者护理和支持护士福利的建议，这将是在新冠疫情中保持一支有弹性的劳动力的关键。虽然这项研究集中在肺癌和间皮瘤专家身上，但调查结果对其他癌症专业也有更广泛的影响。
