Search

Healthcare systems and health professionals are facing a litany of stressors that have been compounded by the pandemic, and consequently, this has further perpetuated suboptimal mental health and burnout in nursing. The purpose of this paper is to report select findings from a larger, national study exploring gendered experiences of mental health, leave of absence (LOA), and return to work from the perspectives of nurses and key stakeholders. Given the breadth of the data, this paper will focus exclusively on the qualitative results from 53 frontline Canadian nurses who were purposively recruited for their workplace insight. This paper focuses on the substantive theme of "Breaking Point," in which nurses articulated a multiplicity of stress points at the individual, organizational, and societal levels that amplified burnout and accelerated mental health LOA from the workplace. These findings exemplify the complexities that underlie nurses' mental health and burnout and highlight the urgent need for multipronged individual, organizational, and structural interventions. Robust and timely interventions are needed to restore the health of the nursing profession and sustain its future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The focus of this paper is exemplary gerontological nursing interventions that effectively supported families and long‐term care residents in Canada during visiting restrictions resulting from COVID‐19. Objective: The aim was to describe exemplary gerontological nursing interventions that families and long‐term care residents in Canada found supportive during visiting restrictions resulting from COVID‐19. Methods: An analysis of data artefacts including news reports, blogs and social media postings was completed. Results: Thematic analysis resulted in four themes: dedication amidst challenge, innovation and continuous learning, living their nursing values and purposeful knowledge sharing. These themes are described using a framework that depicts four pillars of exemplary nursing practice: professionalism, scholarly practice, leadership and stewardship (Riley, Beal, & Ponte, 2021). Conclusions/Implications for Practice: A link is made between these pillars of exemplary practice and enactment of family‐focused care. Recommendations focused on gerontological nursing approaches that facilitate family‐focused care for older adults residing in long‐term care are included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The COVID‐19 pandemic has significant impact on long‐term care (LTC) residents' health and well‐being. Objectives: This study investigated resident experiences of loneliness during the COVID‐19 pandemic in Canadian LTC homes to offer lessons learned and implications. Methods: 15 residents and 16 staff members were recruited from two large urban Canadian LTC homes with large outbreaks and fatalities. We used a telepresence robot to conduct one‐on‐one semi‐structured interviews with participants remotely. We applied the Collaborative Action Research (CAR) methodology and report the early phase of CAR focused on collecting data and reporting findings to inform actions for change. Thematic analysis was performed to identify themes. Results: Four themes were identified. The first two themes characterise what commonly generated feelings of loneliness amongst residents, including (1) social isolation and missing their family and friends and (2) feeling hopeless and grieving for lives lost. The second two themes describe what helped residents alleviate loneliness, including (3) social support and (4) creating opportunities for recreation and promoting positivity. Conclusions: Residents living in LTC experienced significant social isolation and grief during the pandemic that resulted in loneliness and other negative health consequences. Implications for practice: Promoting meaningful connection, safe recreational activities and a positive atmosphere in LTC homes during the pandemic may help mitigate residents' experiences of loneliness due to social isolation and/or grief and enhance their quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Patients discharged following hospitalization for COVID‐19 require clear discharge protocols, information resources and communications to adequately prepare them to safely and successfully transition from hospital to home. Our study focuses on the patients' transition to recovering at home including their hospital discharge preparation and hospital experiences. Methods: A qualitative descriptive study design involved interviewing patients who had been hospitalized for COVID‐19 in one urban Alberta, Canada centre. Purposive sampling was used to select patients from a centralized COVID‐19 hospital patient database stratified by month between March 2020 and February 2021. Other inclusion criteria (e.g., sex and age) were also considered. Semi‐structured interviews with patients were recorded, transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. Data sufficiency and saturation were determined. Results: Twelve patients shared their lived experiences and recovery journey from COVID‐19. Themes were reported under three main areas as framed by the study aim—the current status of patients recovering at home, including the supports they used to manage; their discharge process and preparation to go home; and their various hospital‐related experiences. Suggestions for improving aspects of the patient journey were also captured. Conclusion: Findings provided details of the needs, information gaps and what matters most to patients when they are recovering from COVID‐19 at home, including their preparation to safely and successfully transition from hospital to home (i.e., feeling well prepared to go home, including being adequately assessed and having clear discharge protocols and communication). Key learnings were applied to improve or develop patient discharge and transition resources. Patient or Public Contribution: A patient/family advisor and patient experience partners were involved throughout the study, codeveloping all aspects, from the study design to the reporting and application of the findings. Leading into the study, patient experiences and feedback regarding the home from hospital recovery journey informed multiple aspects, including the codevelopment of the interview guide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Healthcare facilities adopted restrictive visitor policies as a result of the COVID‐19 (COVID) pandemic. Though these measures were necessary to promote the safety of patients, families and healthcare providers, it led to isolation and loneliness amongst acute care inpatients that can undermine patient rehabilitation and recovery. The study objectives were to (1) explore how infection prevention and control (IP&C) measures impacted stakeholders' perceptions of care quality and interactions with others and (2) investigate how these experiences and perceptions varied across stakeholder groups and care settings. Methods: A qualitative descriptive study was conducted. Patients and their families from an inpatient COVID rehabilitation hospital and healthcare providers from an acute or rehabilitation COVID hospital were interviewed between August 2020 and February 2021. Results: A total of 10 patients, 5 family members and 12 healthcare providers were interviewed. Four major themes were identified: (1) IP&C measures challenged the psychosocial health of all stakeholders across care settings; (2): IP&C measures precipitated a need for greater relational care from HCPs; (3) infection prevention tenets perpetuated COVID‐related stigma that stakeholders experienced across care settings; and (4) technology was used to facilitate human connection when IP&C limited physical presence. Conclusion: IP&C measures challenged psychosocial health and maintenance of vital human connections. Loneliness and isolation were felt by all stakeholders due to physical distancing and COVID‐related stigma. Some isolation was mitigated by the relational care provided by HCPs and technological innovations used. The findings of the study underscore the need to balance safety with psychosocial well‐being across care settings and beyond the patient–provider dyad. Patient and Public Contribution: This study was informed by the Patient‐Oriented Research Agenda and developed through consultations with patients and family caregivers to identify priority areas for rehabilitation research. Priority areas identified that informed the current study were (1) the need to focus on the psychosocial aspects of recovery from illness and injury and (2) the importance of exploring patients' recovery experiences and needs across the continuum of care. The study protocol, ethics submission, analysis and manuscript preparation were all informed by healthcare providers with lived experience of working in COVID care settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: To address a national concern over the sufficiency of plasma, Canadian Blood Services (CBS) initiated a proof‐of‐concept programme with three new source plasma collection centres, aiming to demonstrate a cost‐effective template for future source plasma collection and to alleviate the concerns and risks associated with the dependence on the United States. This study uses social capital as a framework to assess the success of the proof‐of‐concept collection centres. Materials and Methods: One‐hundred and one qualitative interviews with source plasma donors in three new source plasma centres in Canada were carried out. Results: CBS played a critical role in motivating whole‐blood donors to switch to plasma donation by building on their identity as a donor and facilitating access. Community was central to ensuring that donors returned. The importance of the social network was apparent through relationships participants developed with staff and through the relationships that staff had with each other. Donors wanted to understand more about the uses of plasma so that they could promote donation through their social networks outside the centre. Conclusion: Campaigns to convert existing blood donors to plasma donors should build on their identity as a donor and structure the centre as a safe and welcoming place. To retain donors, blood collection agencies should emphasize community by facilitating staff ability to work well together and connect with the donor. Blood operators have the potential to expand existing social networks and foster trust through the dissemination of knowledge about plasma more broadly in more diverse communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]