Psychology Research and Behavior Management (Sep 2022)

Experiences of Work-Related Stress Among Female Healthcare Workers During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency: A Qualitative Study in the United Arab of Emirates

  • Hijazi H,
  • Baniissa W,
  • Al Abdi R,
  • Al-Yateem N,
  • Almarzouqi A,
  • Rahman S,
  • Alshammari R,
  • Alameddine M

Journal volume & issue
Vol. Volume 15
pp. 2701 – 2715

Abstract

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Heba Hijazi,1,2 Wegdan Baniissa,3 Rabah Al Abdi,4 Nabeel Al-Yateem,3 Amina Almarzouqi,1 Syed Rahman,1 Rayya Alshammari,1 Mohamad Alameddine1 1Department of Health Services Administration, College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; 2Department of Health Management and Policy, Faculty of Medicine, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan; 3Nursing Department, College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; 4Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, JordanCorrespondence: Heba Hijazi, Department of Health Services Administration, College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, Email [email protected]: Frontline healthcare workers experienced high levels of psychological distress and emotional turmoil due to the changes necessitated by the COVID-19 public health emergency. Given that workplace stress can negatively influence both quality of work, and job performance, this study sought to explore the lived experiences of work-related stress among female healthcare workers in United Arab of Emirates during the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods: A qualitative phenomenological investigation was performed using a purposive sampling approach. A total of 26 semi-structured interviews were conducted with female healthcare workers who worked directly with COVID-19 patients. Using Giorgi’s descriptive method, the data were analyzed to identify the main themes.Results: Three main themes emerged from the data analysis, with nine categories under these themes. The first theme was “sources of work-related stress.” The participants reported a high workload, fear of being infected and transmitting the virus to others, and uncertainty and lack of knowledge regarding COVID-19 to be the main sources of their work-related stress. The second theme was “challenges of working during the pandemic.” The participants related being challenged by changes in the organization of care, the need to use personal protective equipment, a work-life imbalance, and witnessing patients’ suffering. The third theme was “coping strategies.” The participants perceived having sources of social support and using self-adjustment skills to be helpful strategies in terms of coping with the stressful situations they experienced.Conclusion: The findings suggest a number of strategies and interventions that could be used at the individual and institutional levels to promote the preparedness and efficacy of healthcare workers during future crises and public health emergencies.Keywords: work-related stress, female healthcare workers, qualitative research, work experiences, healthcare professionals, COVID-19 pandemic, public health emergency

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