Reflexiones para la reorganización de residencias en el contexto de la pandemia por COVID-19

Perception of pediatric residents from a tertiary hospital in the city of México regarding their training during the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUNDS

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak a global pandemic, which changed the residents' teaching and learning process. The purpose of this study was to determine residents' satisfaction and impressions on their training during the pandemic in a tertiary pediatric hospital.

METHODS

This was a descriptive cross-sectional study. An online survey was designed to determine residents' demographic and personal characteristics, as well as their perception about the theoretical and practical training, as well as about their emotional situation. The analysis separated medical students from surgical students in order to identify any differences existing between these groups, for which χ2 was calculated.

RESULTS

Overall, 148 of 171 residents (86.5%) responded to the questionnaire; 75% belonged to the medical specialty and 25% to the surgical specialty. Statistically significant differences were found in terms of those training aspects they were concerned about during the pandemic (p < 0.001) and about the difficulties associated with online learning (p = 0.001). Differences were also found regarding their satisfaction toward the time needed to complete their thesis (p = 0.059) and activities outside the hospital (p = 0.029). Regarding their degree of satisfaction in general, most medical specialty students felt slightly satisfied (43.2%) and surgical specialty students felt mostly neutral (37.8%). Regarding their feelings about their mental health, statistically significant differences were found between both groups (p = 0.038) although both groups reported the same percentage of overall dissatisfaction (2.7%) in this area.

CONCLUSION

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought significant challenges to medical education systems. Lack of practice in decision-making and maneuver execution are concerns for residents and may affect their future professional performance.

Burnout among Direct-Care Workers in Nursing Homes during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Spain: A Preventive and Educational Focus for Sustainable Workplaces

Due to their continuous contact with pain and death, healthcare workers have one of the most stressful professions. Pain and death are more common in nursing homes. During the health crisis associated with COVID-19, these work centers have been characterized as spaces of high vulnerability to infection for the elderly, with a high mortality rate. This research aims to determine how the health crisis associated with COVID-19 has influenced healthcare professionals working in nursing homes for the elderly. Using a quantitative and cross-sectional method, the research was developed in residential centers in the Region of Murcia (Spain) during the second wave of the pandemic. A survey design based mainly on the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) was employed. MBI measures three subscales: emotional burnout, depersonalization, and self-fulfillment. The results show that 6.4% of the respondents were burned out, 53.8% of the participants were emotionally exhausted, 35.1% were found to suffer from depersonalization, and in the case of personal development, the respondents showed a low level of 15.6%. This study shows the need to consider the establishment, in the academic environment, of training programs for health professionals related to coping with, managing, and identifying stress, especially in adverse circumstances. Similarly, in the professional field, it is necessary to develop strategies to prevent stress and anxiety in the workplace. The development of training programs for this purpose is essential for achieving a sustainable work context.