Table 2.
Summary of findings
| Socio-ecological framework of health care workers’ experiences during COVID-19 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Themes | Description | Sub-themes |
| Individual level | HCWs’ well-being, professional and personal identity, daily work–life routine |
(-) The pandemic compromised HCWs’ physical and mental well-being (-) HCWs coped with the pandemic by employing diverse practices and activities (-) COVID-19 made some HCWs question their career choice (-) HCWs reported positive impact on their personal and professional identity particularly in the later pandemic stage (-) HCWs’ perceived well-being differed across settings, occupations and roles in the pandemic (-) HCWs’ experienced work–life imbalance (-) COVID-19 disrupted HCWs’ work routines (-) HCWs experienced negative financial effects |
| Interpersonal level | HCWs’ relationships with their private and professional environment |
(-) HCWs’ were concerned with regard to virus transmission to their private context (-) HCWs introduced changes to their living situation in response to the pandemic (-) Interpersonal relationships were generally perceived as supportive by HCWs (-) Some HCWs felt shunned by family and friends (-) HCWs valued teamwork, but also experienced challenging collegial relationships (-) The pandemic compromised HCW-patient communication |
| Institutional level | Decision-making processes at work, organizational factors and availability of institutional support |
(-) HCWs were discontent about institutional leadership (-) There was a perceived lack of institutional communication and organizational preparedness (-) HCWs experienced unfair allocation of work and roles in the workplace (-) There was dissatisfaction with institutional support and resources availability (-) HCWs advocated for training on health emergencies topics (-) Power hierarchies emerged as a factor influencing HCWs’ perceived sense of support |
| Community level | Morale, norms, and public knowledge and support |
(-) HCWs’ perception of public support varied across roles and work settings (-) Ambivalence toward the “hero status” attributed to HCWs (-) HCWs experienced stigma with consequences on their personal lives (-) Public awareness of the dangers of COVID-19 was identified as an important factor impacting HCWs’ experiences (-) Online resources and facilitated information exchanges were perceived as useful by HCWs |
| Policy level | Perceived governmental response, support and the impact of its measures on HCWs |
(-) HCWs’ voiced major dissatisfaction with governmental responses (-) Guidelines were perceived as contradictory (-) HCWs reported unequal distribution of governmental support across health facilities (-) Some governmental measures had a negative impact on HCWs’ personal and work lives (-) HCWs advocated for clear crisis communication, employees’ rights, and tailored pandemic preparedness and crisis management |