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Jacobi D, Ide T. Nurses' Protests during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Comparative International Analysis. NURSING REPORTS 2024; 14:1961-1972. [PMID: 39189276 PMCID: PMC11348237 DOI: 10.3390/nursrep14030146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2024] [Revised: 08/06/2024] [Accepted: 08/07/2024] [Indexed: 08/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Nurses play key roles in dealing with pandemics yet are often conceived solely as "technical" experts without political agency. This study conducts the first global comparative analysis of COVID-19-related protests of nurses and other frontline health workers, with a focus on the first 18 months of the pandemic. We draw on quantitative and qualitative data on nurses' protests and protest drivers. Results show that such protests were widespread: We identify 3515 events in 90 countries, with several regional hotspots existing. The most common reasons for protests were poor working conditions and insufficient workplace safety, followed by wider social issues like poverty and racism. For most of the time period under consideration, protests demanding access to vaccinations (a rarely explored phenomenon) were more widespread than anti-vaccination events. Protest frequency was highest in countries with high COVID-19-related mortality rates, high levels of human development, and strong social movements at the onset of the pandemic. Recognising the key role of nurses as political actors would help to improve health policies and to maintain a capable healthcare workforce, particularly during acute crises like pandemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davina Jacobi
- Discipline Area of Nursing, IUBH International University, 99084 Erfurt, Germany
| | - Tobias Ide
- Center of Biosecurity and One Health, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia
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Alonso MS, Lima MCP, Dias A, Camacho-Vega JC, García-Iglesias JJ, Ruiz-Frutos C, Bernardes JM, Gómez-Salgado J. Psychological distress among Brazilian workers during the initial stage of the COVID-19 pandemic: a descriptive study. Front Public Health 2024; 12:1283310. [PMID: 38439755 PMCID: PMC10910103 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1283310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Background COVID-19 pandemic imposed drastic and abrupt changes to working environment and organization and that might have caused additional negative effects on mental health. Thus, this study aimed to quantify and assess the severity of psychological distress experienced by Brazilian essential and nonessential workers during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods This descriptive study included 2,903 participants who answered an online questionnaire between April and May 2020. The research questionnaire was translated and culturally adapted to the Brazilian population from a questionnaire developed and validated for the Spanish population. Variables were analyzed using simple and cumulative percentage distributions and measures of central tendency and dispersion. The Wilson score interval was used to calculate confidence interval (CI) for the main outcome, psychological distress. Results It was observed a high prevalence (72.6%) of psychological distress among the study's participants. They also presented a median risk perception score of 60 (out of a maximum of 90), and their greatest concern was transmitting the virus to family members, close contacts or patients. Furthermore, it was found a lower sense of coherence and work engagement among the participants than those observed in previous studies conducted in other countries. Conclusion Almost three quarters of the study's participants were classified as presenting psychological distress. Thus, it is imperative to provide mental health remotely delivered interventions to workers during public health events that require prolonged social distancing measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Spröesser Alonso
- Public/Collective Health Graduate Program, Botucatu Medical School, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, Brazil
| | - Maria Cristina Pereira Lima
- Public/Collective Health Graduate Program, Botucatu Medical School, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, Brazil
| | - Adriano Dias
- Public/Collective Health Graduate Program, Botucatu Medical School, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, Brazil
| | - Juan Carlos Camacho-Vega
- Department of Architectural Construction II, Higher Technical School of Building Engineering, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
| | - Juan Jesus García-Iglesias
- Faculty of Labour Sciences, Department of Sociology, Social Work, and Public Health, University of Huelva, Huelva, Spain
| | - Carlos Ruiz-Frutos
- Faculty of Labour Sciences, Department of Sociology, Social Work, and Public Health, University of Huelva, Huelva, Spain
- Safety and Health Postgraduate Programme, Universidad Espíritu Santo, Guayaquil, Ecuador
| | - João Marcos Bernardes
- Public/Collective Health Graduate Program, Botucatu Medical School, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, Brazil
| | - Juan Gómez-Salgado
- Faculty of Labour Sciences, Department of Sociology, Social Work, and Public Health, University of Huelva, Huelva, Spain
- Safety and Health Postgraduate Programme, Universidad Espíritu Santo, Guayaquil, Ecuador
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Griesi JM, Bernardes JM, Alonso M, Gómez-Salgado J, Ruiz-Frutos C, Fagundo-Rivera J, López-López D, Camacho-Vega JC, Dias A. Risk perception of healthcare workers in the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil. Heliyon 2024; 10:e25297. [PMID: 38352759 PMCID: PMC10861974 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e25297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Objectives To validate the items of the Emotional Impact Questionnaire coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) related to risk perception, estimating its degree, among healthcare workers in the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic, identifying possible associated factors.Methods: cross-sectional study in 1872 healthcare workers of Brazil. The population was characterized by sociodemographic and occupational information, knowledge about COVID-19, quality of information received, risk perception and preventive measures about the disease, and sense of coherence. Results Being divorced, having a chronic disease, spending more than 1 h per day getting informed about COVID-19, and always or almost always wearing a mask regardless of symptoms, as well as self-perception of health were associated with high-risk perception. An inverse association was found between risk perception, sense of coherence and not knowing if one has had occasional contact with confirmed COVID-19 cases. Conclusion Risk perception is influenced by emotions, experiences, and knowledge. Sense of coherence and resilience have a role in reducing risk perception. Understanding risk perception is crucial for developing effective strategies to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and other similar scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana Muraguti Griesi
- Department of Public Health, Botucatu Medical School, São Paulo State University/UNESP, Botucatu, 18618-687, Brazil
| | - João Marcos Bernardes
- Department of Public Health, Botucatu Medical School, São Paulo State University/UNESP, Botucatu, 18618-687, Brazil
- Public (Collective) Health Graduate Program, Botucatu Medical School, São Paulo State University/UNESP, Botucatu, 18618-687, Brazil
| | - Melissa Alonso
- Public (Collective) Health Graduate Program, Botucatu Medical School, São Paulo State University/UNESP, Botucatu, 18618-687, Brazil
| | - Juan Gómez-Salgado
- Department of Sociology, Social Work and Public Health, Faculty of Labour Sciences, University of Huelva, 21007, Huelva, Spain
- Safety and Health Graduate Program, Universidad Espíritu Santo, Guayaquil, 092301, Ecuador
| | - Carlos Ruiz-Frutos
- Department of Sociology, Social Work and Public Health, Faculty of Labour Sciences, University of Huelva, 21007, Huelva, Spain
- Safety and Health Graduate Program, Universidad Espíritu Santo, Guayaquil, 092301, Ecuador
| | | | - Daniel López-López
- Health and Podiatry Group, Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Nursing and Podiatry. Industrial Campus of Ferrol, Universidade da Coruña, 15403, Ferrol, Spain
| | - Juan Carlos Camacho-Vega
- Department of Building Construction II, Higher Technical School of Building Engineering, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
| | - Adriano Dias
- Department of Public Health, Botucatu Medical School, São Paulo State University/UNESP, Botucatu, 18618-687, Brazil
- Public (Collective) Health Graduate Program, Botucatu Medical School, São Paulo State University/UNESP, Botucatu, 18618-687, Brazil
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Li Y, Xie P, He L, Fu X, Ding X, Jobe MC, Ahmed MZ. The effect of perceived stress for work engagement in volunteers during the COVID-19 pandemic: the mediating role of psychological resilience and age differences. PeerJ 2023; 11:e15704. [PMID: 37483959 PMCID: PMC10358337 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Volunteers played an important role throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. This study investigated the characteristics of perceived stress, psychological resilience and work engagement among 910 Chinese volunteers of different ages in the first month of pandemic in Gansu province, China. The present study tested the correlations between perceived stress and work engagement, the mediating role of psychological resilience in the relationship and the differences among age groups. The results of this study showed that work engagement and psychological resilience increased with the age of the volunteers. Work engagement and resilience levels were higher in middle adulthood than in early adulthood. As predicted, perceived stress negatively predicted work engagement. A mediation analysis showed that psychological resilience partially explained the correlations between perceived stress and work engagement. Specifically, the mediating effect of psychological resilience in early adulthood was significant, but not in middle adulthood. Overall, this study demonstrates that work engagement increased with age and was negatively predicted by perceived stress, showing these factors were important for volunteers' work during COVID-19. Further, for those in early adulthood, psychological resilience mediated this relationship-highlighting another age difference among volunteers during COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yatong Li
- School of Psychology, The Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, China
- Longnan Teachers College, Chengxian, China
| | - Pei Xie
- School of Psychology, The Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Liang He
- School of Psychology, The Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Xiaolong Fu
- School of Psychology, The Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Xiaobing Ding
- School of Psychology, The Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Mary C. Jobe
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, George Washington University, Washington D.C., United States of America
| | - Md Zahir Ahmed
- School of Psychology, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, Zhejiang, China
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Çemberci M, Civelek ME, Ertemel AV, Cömert PN. The relationship of work engagement with job experience, marital status and having children among flexible workers after the Covid-19 pandemic. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0276784. [PMID: 36367852 PMCID: PMC9651564 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0276784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about serious consequences in business world practices. Among these, flexible working policies have increased to a great extent. This has resulted in serious problems in the work-life balance. In this context, conditions such as having children and marital status have been important factors that can affect work engagement among flexible workers in the post pandemic era. Therefore, this study investigates the relationship of marital status, job experience and having children with work engagement among white-collar workers who work in flexible hours. Data is collected through surveys from 199 flexible working employees. ANOVA and T-tests were employed to analyze the data. The results indicate that only one of the sub-dimensions of work engagement-namely absorption- changes according to their marital status, and yet, the work engagement is not related to having children. In addition, it is seen that there is a significant relationship between job experience and work engagement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Murat Çemberci
- Business Administration, Yıldız Technical University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | | | | | - Perlin Naz Cömert
- Business Administration, Yıldız Technical University, Istanbul, Turkey
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