Working conditions for healthcare workers at a Swedish university hospital infectious disease department during the COVID-19 pandemic: barriers and facilitators to maintaining employee wellbeing

Malin Veje; Karolina Linden; Verena Sengpiel; Ylva Carlsson; Ingibjörg H Jonsdottir; Alessio Degl'Innocenti; Linda Ahlstrom; Helle Wijk; Magnus Akerstrom

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1183084

Working conditions for healthcare workers at a Swedish university hospital infectious disease department during the COVID-19 pandemic: barriers and facilitators to maintaining employee wellbeing

Front Psychol. 2023 May 18:14:1183084. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1183084. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Malin Veje^{1

2}, Karolina Linden³, Verena Sengpiel^{4

5}, Ylva Carlsson^{4

5}, Ingibjörg H Jonsdottir^{6

7}, Alessio Degl'Innocenti^{8

9}, Linda Ahlstrom^{3

10}, Helle Wijk^{3

11}, Magnus Akerstrom^{6

7}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Infectious Diseases, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Region Västra Götaland, Gothenburg, Sweden.
² Institute of Biomedicine, Department of Infectious Diseases, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
³ Institute of Health and Care Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
⁴ Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Region Västra Götaland, Gothenburg, Sweden.
⁵ Center of Perinatal Medicine and Health, Institute of Clinical Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
⁶ Institute of Stress Medicine, Region Västra Götaland, Gothenburg, Sweden.
⁷ School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
⁸ Center for Ethics, Law, and Mental Health (CELAM), Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
⁹ Gothia Forum for Clinical Trials, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Region Västra Götaland, Gothenburg, Sweden.
¹⁰ Department of Orthopedics, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Region Västra Götaland, Gothenburg, Sweden.
¹¹ Department of Quality Strategies, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Region Västra Götaland, Gothenburg, Sweden.

Abstract

Background: Healthcare workers (HCWs) at infectious disease departments have held the frontline during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to identify barriers and facilitators to maintaining the employees' wellbeing that may be used to increase preparedness for future pandemics within ID Departments.

Methods: In September 2020, a web-based survey on demographics and work environment was distributed to all HCWs at the Infectious Disease Department at Sahlgrenska University Hospital. Results were compared with a pre-COVID-19 survey from October 2019. A quantitative analysis of the overall effects of the pandemic on the working conditions of HCWs was conducted; in addition, a qualitative content analysis of open-ended responses was performed.

Results: In total, 222 and 149 HCWs completed the pre-COVID-19 and COVID-19 surveys (84 and 54% response rate), respectively. Overall, we found significant changes regarding increased workload, lack of emotional support in stressful work situations, and inability to recover after shifts. These factors correlated both with younger age and concern of becoming infected. The open-ended answers (n = 103, 69%) revealed five generic categories (Workload; Organizational support; Worry and ethical stress; Capability; and Cooperation and unity) with a total of 14 identified factors representing plausible individual and organizational-level barriers or facilitators to sustained employee wellbeing.

Conclusion: Younger HCWs as well as those expressing worries about contracting the infection were found to be particularly affected during the COVID-19 pandemic and these groups may require additional support in future outbreaks. Factors both increasing and decreasing the pandemic-induced negative health consequences for HCWs were identified; this knowledge may be utilized in the future.

Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic; employee wellbeing; healthcare organizations; healthcare workers (HCW); infectious disease departments; working conditions.