Health Promotion Research Centre, College of Medicine Nursing and Health Sciences, University of Galway, Galway city, Ireland.
School of Nursing and Midwifery, College of Medicine, Nursing, and Health Sciences, University of Galway, Galway city, Ireland.
BMC Public Health. 2024 Oct 30;24(1):3005. doi: 10.1186/s12889-024-20451-7.
A review of key learnings from the response to the COVID-19 pandemic in nursing homes in Ireland can inform planning for future pandemics. This study describes barriers and facilitators contributing to COVID-19 outbreak management from the perspective of frontline teams.
A qualitative study involving ten online focus group meetings was conducted. Data was collected between April and June 2023. The focus group discussions explored the views, perceptions and experiences of COVID-19 Response Team (CRT) members, clinical/public health experts who worked with them, and care professionals who worked in frontline managerial roles during the pandemic. All nine Community Healthcare Organisations and six Public Health Areas in Ireland were represented. Inductive reflexive thematic analysis was carried out using NVivo Pro 20.
In total, 54 staff members participated in focus group meetings. Five themes were developed from a thematic analysis that covered topics related to (1) infection prevention and control challenges and response to the pandemic, (2) social model of care and the built environment of nursing homes, (3) nursing home staffing, (4) leadership and staff practices, and (5) support and guidance received during the pandemic.
The response to the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a steep learning curve, internationally and in Ireland. Preparing better for future pandemics not only requires changes to infection control and outbreak response but also to the organisation and operation of nursing homes. There is a great need to strengthen the long-term care sector's regulations and support around staffing levels, nursing home facilities, governance, use of technology, infection prevention and control, contingency planning, and maintaining collaborative relationships and strategic leadership. Key findings and recommendations from the Irish example can be used to improve the quality of care and service delivery at local, national, and policy levels and improve preparedness for future pandemics, in Ireland and internationally.
回顾爱尔兰养老院应对 COVID-19 大流行的主要经验教训，可以为未来的大流行规划提供信息。本研究从一线团队的角度描述了对 COVID-19 暴发管理有贡献的障碍和促进因素。
这是一项定性研究，包括十次在线焦点小组会议。数据收集于 2023 年 4 月至 6 月之间进行。焦点小组讨论探讨了 COVID-19 应对团队 (CRT) 成员、与他们合作的临床/公共卫生专家以及在大流行期间从事一线管理角色的护理专业人员的观点、看法和经验。爱尔兰的所有九个社区医疗保健组织和六个公共卫生区都有代表。使用 NVivo Pro 20 对归纳性反思主题分析进行了分析。
共有 54 名员工参加了焦点小组会议。从主题分析中得出了五个主题，涵盖了与（1）感染预防和控制挑战以及对大流行的应对、（2）社会护理模式和养老院的建筑环境、（3）养老院人员配备、（4）领导和员工实践以及（5）在大流行期间获得的支持和指导相关的主题。
COVID-19 大流行的应对在国际上和爱尔兰都带来了一个陡峭的学习曲线。为未来的大流行做好更好的准备不仅需要改变感染控制和疫情应对，还需要改变养老院的组织和运作方式。非常需要加强长期护理部门的法规和对人员配备水平、养老院设施、治理、技术使用、感染预防和控制、应急计划以及保持合作关系和战略领导力的支持。从爱尔兰的例子中得出的关键发现和建议可以用于提高当地、国家和政策层面的护理质量和服务交付，并为未来的大流行做好准备，在爱尔兰和国际上。
