Professional Quality of Life and Perceived Stress in Health Professionals before COVID-19 in Spain: Primary and Hospital Care

This study aimed to analyze the professional quality of life and the perceived stress of health professionals before COVID-19 in Spain, in primary and hospital care professionals. A cross-sectional observational study on health professionals working in health centers during the health crisis caused by COVID-19 was conducted. Professional Quality of Life (ProQoL) and Perceived Stress (PSS-14) were measured, along with socio-demographic and labor variables through an online questionnaire. A descriptive and correlation analysis was performed. A total of 537 professionals participated, both in hospital care (54.7%) and in primary care (45.3%). There was a predominance of medium Compassion Satisfaction, high Compassion Fatigue and medium Burnout. Mean scores for compassion fatigue and compassion satisfaction were slightly higher in primary care, while burnout was higher in hospital care. When primary care participants were grouped by profession, significant differences were found in relation to perceived stress and to the three subscales of professional quality of life. In hospital care, the differences were observed when comparing compassion fatigue and perceived stress by gender. In addition, with respect to Burnout it was carried out by type of contract and shift and in relation to perceived stress grouped by sex, contract and profession. The COVID-19 health crisis has had an impact on mental health and the quality of professional life of health professionals. There is a need to implement long-term contingency programs aimed at improving the emotional well-being of health service professionals

Los jóvenes como un grupo vulnerable dentro del mercado laboral y análisis del Proyecto Mi Primer Empleo, como componente de la política pública para el empleo juvenil en el Ecuador, en el periodo 2007-2013

El presente trabajo analiza la situación de los jóvenes en lo que respecta a su inserción laboral en el Ecuador, para lo cual, se revisan los factores que influyen para que este grupo no pueda encontrar un trabajo digno. Uno de estos factores es la falta de educación propicia de los países en desarrollo, es por esto, que también se estudia las actuales políticas para fomentar el desarrollo del capital humano en el país. Los jóvenes, como se demuestra en esta investigación, se encuentran en claras desventajas frente al resto de la población, para este análisis se construyeron los indicadores laborales para este grupo etario. También se analiza el proyecto Mi Primer Empleo, el mismo que se creó a partir del año 2007 a través del Ministerio de Trabajo como componente de la política pública para promover el empleo juvenil en el Ecuador, el fin es determinar si este proyecto cumple o no con los objetivos para los que fue creado, además de establecer su aporte a la solución de la problemática laboral de los jóvenes

Communicating Health Information at the End of Life: The Caregivers’ Perspectives

Health information and communication are key elements that allow patients and family members to make decisions about end-of-life care and guarantee a death with dignity. Objective: To understand caregivers’ experiences regarding health information and communication during the illness and death of family members. Methods: This qualitative study was conducted in Andalusia based on the paradigm of hermeneutic phenomenology. Participants were caregivers who had accompanied a family member at the end of life for over 2 months and less than 2 years. Five nominal groups and five discussion groups were established, and 41 in-depth interviews with 123 participants were conducted. Atlas.ti 7.0 software was used to analyze the discourses. A comprehensive reading was carried out along with a second reading. The most relevant units of meaning were identified, and the categories were extracted. The categories were then grouped in dimensions and, finally, the contents of each dimension were interpreted and described given the appropriate clarifications. Results: Four dimensions of the dying process emerged: di erences in caregivers’ perceptions of information and communication, a conspiracy of silence, consequences of the absence or presence of information, and the need for a culture change. Conclusions: Poor management of health information and communication at the end of life increased the su ering and discomfort of patients and their families. The culture of denying and avoiding death is still present today. A change in education about death would better enable health professionals to care for patients at the end of life.Project PI-0643/2012, "The dying process in Andalusia. Qualitative analysis from the perspective of informal caregivers", was funded by the Department of Health and Social Welfare, Junta of Andalusia, Spain. In addition, the Andalusian Association of Community Nursing (ASANEC, its acronym in Spanish) has contributed to the project. The present study was conducted by the working group on Care Bioethics and Humanization of this scientific society

Compassion fatigue, burnout, compassion satisfaction and perceived stress in healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 health crisis in Spain

Aims and objectives: To evaluate compassion fatigue (CF), burnout (BO), compassion satisfaction (CS) and perceived stress in healthcare professionals during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) health crisis in Spain. Background: Spain has been one of the countries hardest hit by the health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Healthcare professionals have had to deal with traumatic and complex situations in the work context. In these particularly stressful situations, many professionals may develop CF or BO, which puts them at risk for mental health problems. Design: Cross-sectional online survey. Methods: A total of 506 healthcare professionals (physicians and nurses) who were working in healthcare centres during the COVID-19 pandemic participated. CF, CS and BO were assessed with the Professional Quality of Life Questionnaire, and perceived stress was measured with the Perceived Stress Scale-14. Socio-demographic and occupational variables were also analysed. Data were collected during the period of the highest incidence of cases and highest mortality rates due to COVID-19 in Spain. This article adheres to the STROBE guidelines for the reporting of observational studies. Results: Physicians had higher CF and BO scores, while nurses had higher CS scores. Perceived stress scores were similar in both occupations. Professionals working in specific COVID-19 units and in emergency departments had higher CF and BO scores, while levels of CS and perceived stress were similar regardless of the workplace. Relevance to clinical practice: Despite the health crisis situation and its implications for healthcare professionals, the levels of CF and BO have remained moderate/high. However, CS seems to be increasing, especially among nurses, possibly due to their motivation to relieve suffering and due to their perceived social recognition. It is necessary to implement interventions that help improve CS and prevent BO and CF among professionals in the long term

Pessoas doentes no final da vida: vivencias na acessibilidade a recursos sociosanitários

Objetivo: Identificar cuáles han sido las principales limitaciones y dificultades en el acceso a los recursos sociosanitarios que han vivido las personas al final de la vida, a través de las vivencias y las percepciones de los cuidadores de estos enfermos. Método: Estudio cualitativo multicéntrico con enfoque fenomenológico, mediante 5 grupos de discusión y 41 entrevistas en profundidad, en Andalucía, Espa˜na. La selección de los participantes se realizó intencionadamente entre los cuidadores que habían sufrido la muerte de su familiar, entre 2 meses y 2 a˜nos después del fallecimiento. Se optó por el método de Giorgi para el análisis de la información, y como soporte informático utilizamos Atlas ti 6.0. Resultados: Se han obtenido una serie de categorías relacionadas con distintos niveles de asistencia sanitaria: el sufrimiento en los servicios de urgencias, la necesidad de intimidad, la sensación de soledad y la vivencia en el domicilio. Conclusiones: Los cuidadores han descrito una serie de obstáculos de acceso a los distintos recursos sociosanitarios, entre los que destacan la existencia de protocolos muy generales de atención que no tenían en cuenta el proceso de enfermedad de su familiar y la necesidad de una habitación individualizada, durante el ingreso hospitalario. En el domicilio se sienten protegidos por los profesionales de atención primaria, pero presentan dificultades de acceso a apoyo psicológico y a las unidades de cuidados paliativos. Por tanto, es prioritario que desde el sistema sanitario se puedan fomentar los aspectos asistenciales esenciales en la atención a estos enfermos y favorecer una muerte con dignidad.Objective: From the perspective of their health providers, to identify the main limitations and difficulties which persons at the end of their lives have experienced in relation to their accessibility to social-sanitary resources. Method: This is a phenomenological-focused qualitative and multi-centric study which conducted 5 discussion groups and 41 in-depth interviews in Andalucia, Spain. The participant selection was limited to those health providers who had suffered the death of a family member within the past two years. The Giorgi method was chosen to analyze and back-up the data. Atlas ti 6.0 was also used. Results: From the analysis, several sanitary-assistance-level categories arose including: the suffering at the urgency services, the need of intimacy, the feelings of loneliness, and the life at home. Conclusions: The care providers described a series of barriers to the access to social-sanitary resources highlighting the very general attention protocols which did not integrally consider the illness process of the beloved, and the need to an individualized room while admission at the hospital. Although while at home, these persons feel protected under the attention of the primary care professionals, they have difficulties to having access to psychological support at the palliative care units. Therefore, it is a priority that, from the sanitary system, the essential assisting attention can be warranted, thus supporting these sick persons to go through death in dignity.Objetivo: Identificar quais têm sido as principais limitac¸ões e dificuldades no acesso aos recursos sociosanitários que viveram as pessoas no final da vida, através das vivencias e as percepc¸ões dos cuidadores destes doentes. Método: Estudo qualitativo multicêntrico com abordagem fenomenológica, mediante 5 grupos de discussão e 41 entrevistas a profundidade, em Andaluzia, Espanha. A selec¸ão dos participantes realizou-se intencionadamente entre aqueles cuidadores que sofreram a morte de seu familiar, entre dois meses e dois anos depois da morte. Optou-se pelo método de Giorgi par análise da informac¸ão e como suporte informático, utilizamos Atlas ti 6.0. Resultados: Obtiveram-se uma série de categorias relacionadas, com diferentes níveis de assistência sanitária: o sofrimento nos servic¸os de pronto socorro, a necessidade de intimidade, a sensac¸ão de solidão e a vivencia no domicílio. Conclusões: Os cuidadores descreveram uma série de obstáculos de acesso aos diferentes recursos sociosanitários nos quais salienta, a existência de protocolos muito gerais de atenc¸ão que não tinham em conta o processo de doenc¸a de seu familiar e a necessidade de um quarto individualizado, durante o ingresso hospitalar. No domicilio sentem-se protegidos pelos profissionais de atenc¸ão primaria, mas, apresentam dificuldades de acesso ao apoio psicológico e às unidades de cuidados paliativos. Portanto, é prioritário que desde o sistema sanitário se possam promover aqueles aspectos assistenciais essenciais na atenc¸ão destes doentes e favorecer uma morte com dignidade

Compassion fatigue, burnout, compassion satisfaction and perceived stress in healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 health crisis in Spain.

To evaluate compassion fatigue (CF), burnout (BO), compassion satisfaction (CS) and perceived stress in healthcare professionals during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) health crisis in Spain. Spain has been one of the countries hardest hit by the health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Healthcare professionals have had to deal with traumatic and complex situations in the work context. In these particularly stressful situations, many professionals may develop CF or BO, which puts them at risk for mental health problems. Cross-sectional online survey. A total of 506 healthcare professionals (physicians and nurses) who were working in healthcare centres during the COVID-19 pandemic participated. CF, CS and BO were assessed with the Professional Quality of Life Questionnaire, and perceived stress was measured with the Perceived Stress Scale-14. Socio-demographic and occupational variables were also analysed. Data were collected during the period of the highest incidence of cases and highest mortality rates due to COVID-19 in Spain. This article adheres to the STROBE guidelines for the reporting of observational studies. Physicians had higher CF and BO scores, while nurses had higher CS scores. Perceived stress scores were similar in both occupations. Professionals working in specific COVID-19 units and in emergency departments had higher CF and BO scores, while levels of CS and perceived stress were similar regardless of the workplace. Despite the health crisis situation and its implications for healthcare professionals, the levels of CF and BO have remained moderate/high. However, CS seems to be increasing, especially among nurses, possibly due to their motivation to relieve suffering and due to their perceived social recognition. It is necessary to implement interventions that help improve CS and prevent BO and CF among professionals in the long term

Compassion fatigue, burnout, compassion satisfaction and perceived stress in healthcare professionals during the COVID‐19 health crisis in Spain

To evaluate compassion fatigue (CF), burnout (BO), compassion satisfaction (CS) and perceived stress in healthcare professionals during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) health crisis in Spain. Spain has been one of the countries hardest hit by the health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Healthcare professionals have had to deal with traumatic and complex situations in the work context. In these particularly stressful situations, many professionals may develop CF or BO, which puts them at risk for mental health problems. Cross-sectional online survey. A total of 506 healthcare professionals (physicians and nurses) who were working in healthcare centres during the COVID-19 pandemic participated. CF, CS and BO were assessed with the Professional Quality of Life Questionnaire, and perceived stress was measured with the Perceived Stress Scale-14. Socio-demographic and occupational variables were also analysed. Data were collected during the period of the highest incidence of cases and highest mortality rates due to COVID-19 in Spain. This article adheres to the STROBE guidelines for the reporting of observational studies. Physicians had higher CF and BO scores, while nurses had higher CS scores. Perceived stress scores were similar in both occupations. Professionals working in specific COVID-19 units and in emergency departments had higher CF and BO scores, while levels of CS and perceived stress were similar regardless of the workplace. Despite the health crisis situation and its implications for healthcare professionals, the levels of CF and BO have remained moderate/high. However, CS seems to be increasing, especially among nurses, possibly due to their motivation to relieve suffering and due to their perceived social recognition. It is necessary to implement interventions that help improve CS and prevent BO and CF among professionals in the long term